Panettone Bread Pudding with Spiced Orange Sauce

This is a delicious variation on a classic made with the light and heavenly Italian Christmas bread. Panettone is similar to brioche but studded with raisins and candied orange and lemon peel. A luscious sauce made with orange liqueur, makes this dish perfect for the holidays. Serve as a dessert or a sweet and decadent breakfast.

Step: 1

Arrange the panettone bread cubes to fit compactly into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Do not compress too tightly; set aside any leftover bread cubes.

Step: 2

Whisk together 3 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture becomes light yellow in color. Pour in the cream, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon orange liqueur; whisk to combine. Stir in 1 pinch salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, lemon zest, and orange zest. Pour this mixture over the panettone cubes in the casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step: 3

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step: 4

Remove the bread from the refrigerator, uncover, and dot the top of the bread pudding with 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of white sugar.

Step: 5

Set casserole dish into a shallow pan that is 2 to 3 inches larger in diameter than the casserole dish. Set these pans onto the center rack of the preheated oven. Pour hot water into the outside pan, until it reaches a depth of 1 inch around the casserole dish, creating a water bath.

Step: 6

Bake the pudding in the water bath until it is fully set and a knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. The water bath will help the pudding to cook evenly and maintain a light texture. Carefully remove the pudding from the water bath and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Step: 7

Just before serving, make the sauce by melting 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup orange liqueur, 3 tablespoons water, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir and heat over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid is heated through. Remove from heat.

Step: 8

In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1 egg until well beaten. While whisking the egg, slowly pour 2 tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the egg. Then, while whisking mixture vigorously, slowly pour the warmed egg mixture back into the sauce.

Step: 9

Place the saucepan back over low heat, gently stirring the sauce and raising the temperature slowly to medium. Continue to stir until the sauce almost reaches a simmer, reducing the heat as necessary if the mixture threatens to boil. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon over the bread pudding and serve immediately.

Per Serving: 972 calories; protein 7.9g; carbohydrates 97.1g; fat 61.7g; cholesterol 302.5mg; sodium 416.9mg.

Eating good breakfast to start the day has become a fabulous habit. It’s a best way to start my 24 hours off healthfully. The sweet hit from the fruit wakes me up and bring me power to take on the morning. The sweetness is often vilified as the evil of all disease, but sweetness is also loaded with fibre, which is best for your stomach system and helps keep you feel full longer, and less likely grab a side food out of the vending machine before break .

Make fruit a morning habit is easy . Simply put the sweetness in your fridge next to the milk or on the bench next to your grain pan , or move your coffee maker or tea kettle — about anywhere where you’ll find it. Before you eat the rest of your food , eat your fruit. If you’re not usually a breakfast person.