Bread pudding and Real Time

Did y'all watch Real Time with Bill Maher this past Friday? The primary panel guests were Lawrence Krauss, Martin Bashir and Josh Barro and others featured were Julian Assange and Tina Brown. Great group, lively discussion, funny as balls. If you have time to watch Bill's closing monologue about the ridiculous lawsuit Donald Trump has filed against him re: "my father was Fred Trump, not an orangutan," please do yourself this favor as it is priceless. Meanwhile, can I just tell you how flipping wonderful the bread pudding I made Friday is? We ate most of it last night with pals, but it is absolutely sublime, and my will-power goes to the dogs whenever I pass the fridge. It's there, beckoning me like the most alluring of sirens despite its gloopy visage.

vanilla bean and apple bread pudding with caramel whiskey sauce

 

NIK_2116My baby has moved into a big boy bed. Yes, he is almost four and it does, for some arbitrary reason, seem time, but this was a boy who looooved his crib. Loved his bumpers, loved the ties that held them to the railings. He told me, quite recently, that when he was a grown-up and was a builder, he would build a crib big enough for an adult, and he would sleep in it, and he would be so happy. It was so darling I almost cried. It was, thus, whiplash-inducing when he declared about five minutes later that he was ready, and could I order the bed and would it arrive the next day.

the proud big boy

As you can see, he's thrilled.

Rustic Vanilla Apple Bread Pudding

Well-executed bread pudding has got to be one of the most amazing desserts ever. The combination of an eggy custard, bread, vanilla and sugar is comforting and delicious, making it difficult for carb lovers like me to eat just a bit. All too often, bread puddings are, however, dry or overwrought disappointments. White chocolate? Bleck! Not enough moisture? Sad. But a good one, moist and dense yet light and drizzled with a warm whiskey sauce, brings me back to Louisiana and the many times my mom made a bread pudding for dessert. Aah.

Today, I added in some butter-sauteed apples as well as steeping my milk with a full vanilla bean. This is going to be a real treat for us tonight; at least I'll prefer it over Halloween candy. Oh dear, will I end up eating the whole thing by myself? Hmm....