Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Eggnog Sauce

It's that time of the week again: 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop hosted by Meal Planning Magic! As always, it's never to late to join the blog hop. If you are a blogger and want to get in the Christmas spirit a little early this year, head on over to get more information and sign up!

This week I'm bringing you a treat that is a little different: Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Eggnog Sauce. This idea was inspired by a dessert I had on a recent visit at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA. If y'all have never been there, be sure to check it out the next time you go through Richmond. It is something amazing. And the food...is out of this world!

The inspiration behind this recipe is a scrumptious gingerbread bread pudding with a cream cheese sauce and scoop of eggnog ice cream. Now tell me that isn't making your mouth water. In attempts to re-create this masterpiece, I did some research and came up with my own version.

While my version is not as rich or decadent (because I like to keep things somewhat skinny and "healthy"), my recipe is still mouth-wateringly delicious. The spicy, flavorful gingerbread cake makes this bread pudding smell and taste like Christmas. The eggnog sauce adds a smooth and sweet richness to the spicy bread pudding. Served right out of the oven, this dessert is great for filling you stomachs and hearts with warmth and happiness. Yes I realize how corny that sounds, but it's so true. :-)

Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Eggnog Sauce (adapted from AllRecipes)
(6-9 servings)

Gingerbread Bread Pudding:
1 box gingerbread mix (plus ingredients to make), or 6 cups cubed gingerbread cake
2 cups milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
4 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed*
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Eggnog Sauce:
3/4 cup eggnog
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract

If preparing gingerbread cake from mix, make and bake according to box directions. Once cake is cooled, cut into cubes. Allow cake to sit uncovered overnight; or place cubes on baking sheet and toast in 250 degree oven for about 25 minutes. You want the gingerbread cake to be "stale" or somewhat dried out so that it soaks up all of the liquid.

Combine milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, salt, vanilla extract, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until ingredients are combined. Add cubed gingerbread to mixture, pressing down to make sure all of bread is covered. Place in refrigerator to soak for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 inch square baking pan by placing butter in the baking dish and putting it in heated oven. Allow butter to melt and remove dish from oven. Pour soaked bread into prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bread pudding is set.

While bread pudding is baking, make the eggnog sauce. Add eggnog and flour to a saucepan. Whisk together. Add butter, sugar, and nutmeg. Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and mix in vanilla. Set aside until bread pudding is ready.

When bread pudding is set, remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm with eggnog sauce.

*This bread pudding recipe does not call for a lot of sugar because the sauce adds sweetness. If you do not plan on serving a sauce with this recipe, I would suggest increasing the brown sugar to 1/2-3/4 cup, depending on how sweet you want your bread pudding to be.

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Nutritional Info (for bread pudding)
Servings Per Recipe: 9
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 281.1
Total Fat: 10.9 g
Cholesterol: 111.1 mg
Sodium: 458.5 mg
Total Carbs: 43.2 g
Fiber: 0.2 g
Sugars: 24.9 g
Protein: 3.2 g

Nutritional Info (for bread pudding and sauce)
Servings Per Recipe: 9
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 368.7
Total Fat: 17.6 g
Cholesterol: 137.6 mg
Sodium: 470.6 mg
Total Carbs: 49.4 g
Fiber: 0.2 g
Sugars: 29.5 g
Protein: 4.1 g

Pros:
-Great holiday treat
-Easy to make
-Impressive presentation
-Great leftovers-just heat bread pudding in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and spoon warm sauce over top
-Versatile-mix in raisins, dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, or other mix-ins to the bread pudding

Cons:
-Caloric and high in sodium

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Check out some of the link parties that I shared this recipe on!

Check out all of the Christmas treats from this week! Click on the picture to see the full recipe.