Recipe: Brioche Pudding with Truffle Honey

the appetizer:

Chanterelle's pastry chef, Kate Zuckerman, has created many exquisite treats in her dessert cookbook, The Sweet Life, including this Brioche Pudding with Truffle Honey.

Brioche Pudding
with Truffle Honey

Yield
12 x 8-inch baked pudding, serves 8 to 12

This is the most basic form of bread pudding, made with a rich custard and a good brioche-like bread, and baked in a slow oven. What makes this dessert superb is the light glaze of white truffle-marinated honey drizzled on the top right before serving. This honey is probably not available at your local gourmet grocery—even if you live in a big city—so if you want to make this simple but showstopping dessert, try looking for truffle honey online at one of the many sites dedicated to high-quality ingredients. It is worth every bit of effort to acquire this exotic ambrosia; the flavor of truffle honey is unique and exciting, and this is the best way I know to enjoy it. Once you buy it, truffle honey keeps for 2 months at the most, so use it lavishly; it is one of life's great pleasures and luxuries.

8 slices (approximately 11 ounces) of brioche,
cut 1/2 inch thick (you may also use challah or any buttery bread)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter, melted
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup truffle honey, for drizzling

Special Tools and Pans

12 x 8-inch baking dish with 2-inch sides
Baking sheet

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 12 x 8-inch baking dish.

Toast the brioche.

Trim off the hard brown crusts and cut each slice into about 6 rectangles measuring 1-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches. Place the bread on a cookie sheet and drizzle with the melted butter. Bake until the bread turns a golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 300 degrees F.

Make the custard.

In a saucepan, combine the cream and milk over medium heat and bring almost to a boil. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, eggs, and salt. Slowly, using a ladle, whisk some of the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture to warm it. Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot milk and cream, whisking constantly as you pour. Do not cook the custard; set it aside.

Bake the pudding.

Place the roasted bread pieces in the prepared baking dish. Pour the warm custard over the bread. Bake the pudding until the chunks sticking out turn crispy and brown and the center is set and has a slight spring when touched, 30 minutes. Scoop a portion of the pudding onto a plate and drizzle approximately 1-1/2 tablespoons truffle honey over each serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this dessert warm. The Honey-Glazed Roasted Pears (page 176 of the book) are also delicious with the truffle honey drizzled over the top.

Storage

This pudding will keep, refrigerated, for 4 days.

Buy the Book

from:
The Sweet Life
Desserts from Chanterelle
by Kate Zuckerman
Bulfinch Press
Hardcover; 224 pages; $35.00
ISBN: 0821257447
Recipe reprinted by permission.