White Chocolate Bread Pudding w/Whiskey Hard Sauce

Now I'm not typically a bread pudding fan, to be honest I don't think I've had a single one I've liked. Well that was until I was at a friends house and had the most amazing bread pudding of my life. I went back for seconds (well actually I went back for fourths) it was that good. I found my friend who was hosting the party and asked her for the recipe. I then found out the "secret" to the amazing bread pudding and I'm about to share it with you...are you ready???  Make sure you're sitting down because this secret is a doozy, here it goes, the secret to the most amazing bread pudding you've ever had...Hot Dog Buns!!!! No joke. Seriously. Hot Dog Buns. You will never look at a hot dog bun the same way again, and you will never never never want bread pudding any other way.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding - (Keep Refrigerated)

12 oz. White Chocolate (chips or chunks cut in pieces).
10-12 Hot Dog Buns cut in approx. 1" sections
1 cup granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ t cinnamon
1 Pinch of Nutmeg
7 Egg Yolks
2 whole Eggs
6 cups Heavy cream, ½ & ½ or Whole Milk (depending on how rich you want it to taste, I
recommend heavy cream)


Put all cream/milk into a pot on the stove.
Stir in sugar, vanilla & nutmeg.
Combine whole eggs and egg yolks in a bowl, and whip till bright yellow and slightly frothy.
Add cream mixture and whip vigorously.
Add white chocolate.
Cut hot dog buns into 1” pieces. Arrange cut hot dog buns in a greased 9 x 12 baking dish.
Pour the milk mixture over buns.
Move and push buns in the baking dish to be sure all buns are saturated with liquid.
Push down on the top of the buns to bring any excess liquid to the top.  If there is no excess of
liquid, add milk or cream to allow a small amount of liquid to surface.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 mins. at 350.
Uncover and bake another 15 minutes (or until pudding is set).
Test with a toothpick in the middle of the dish to make sure that pudding is done, checking often until toothpick comes out clean.


Whiskey Hard Sauce  - (Keep Refrigerated Makes 1 ½ cups)

1 C Cream
½ C Sugar
¼ t vanilla
2 oz. Brandy or Whiskey
1 t cornstarch.

Heat cream just until it starts to simmer.  Simmer until slightly thickened. (about 1 minute)
Add sugar, stir until dissolved.  Add vanilla.
Mix cornstarch with brandy until dissolved.  Take cream off the heat and stir in cornstarch
mixture.  Stir until dissolved and then reheat stirring constantly until thickened.
Cool to desired temperature before serving.