Recipes

Panera Bread® of Iowa

http://www.paneraiowa.com/

Panera Bread Pudding with Custard Sauce

By Gayle M. Brown, Waterloo, IA

For the bread pudding:
• 6 Panera Bread croissants (day-old)
• 3 cups milk
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup toasted pecans
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  
  For the custard sauce:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup half & half
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tablespoon whiskey, optional

Directions
Tear croissants into small pieces, put into 13 x 9 greased pan. In medium bowl combine milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans. Pour over croissants and let stand 5-10 minutes. Bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes until set. For the sauce in a heavy sauce pan combine sugar, butter and half & half. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir and reduce heat and let simmer for five minutes. Stir in vanilla and if desired, the whiskey. Ladle sauce over servings of the bread pudding.