White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding with Butter Cream Sauce

This recipe was totally my sister's idea. 100%.  Which means she is a genius.  This bread pudding is a totally best friends with this White Chocolate Pecan Bread.  In fact, if you really wanted to go over the top with this recipe, use the white chocolate pecan bread in it.  Double White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding.  I'm drooling.  Which is embarrassing, because I was already drooling before we doubled the white chocolate pecan-ness of this bread pudding.  I'm a hopeless case.  I accidentally "tasted" a whole corner of the pan when it came out of the oven.  Yep, it's that good.  You definitely want to use dry bread for this recipe.  How dry?  It can be "I accidentally left it on the counter for a week and now I have a loaf-size crouton" dry.  This simple bread pudding is so moist, and the pecans sitting on top get toasted during baking, adding to the flavor.  Top it off with the butter cream sauce (original recipe found here), and you have an amazing decadent breakfast or a delicious dessert.

White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding with Butter Cream Sauce

White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding:
6 cups dry bread cubes (I used french bread, White Chocolate Pecan Bread would be yum)
1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips, divided
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
3 cups warm milk
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Butter Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  

In the prepared baking dish, combine the dry bread cubes, 1 cup of the white chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Pour the milk mixture over the dry bread cubes in the baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread cubes to make sure they absorb the milk mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup pecans over the top of the bread pudding.

Bake the bread pudding for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the  center is cooked through.  Remove the bread pudding from the oven.

To make the butter cream sauce, in a small saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the sugar until combined.  Add the evaporated milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.

Serve the bread pudding warm with the warm sauce spooned over the top of each serving.  Makes about 12 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy