Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast Bread Pudding
This mascarpone stuffed French toast bread pudding is a decadent indulgent masterpiece that comes together in minutes. All ingredients from Trader Joe’s!
After writing and posting a story yesterday that only vaguely related to what the recipe I was about to share was, I feel I should take this day to be a little more straight forward and share some general guidelines for my mascarpone stuffed French toast bread pudding. It’s a mouthful. In more ways than one.
The Bread
I use one loaf of Brioche. Loaves will vary in size, but it’s okay. Just roll with it. I prefer Trader Joe’s loaf (along with Trader Joe’s everything else in this recipe). You can use any bread you like, but brioche is fantastic. Your average loaf of any bread will yield about 10 cups when cubed.
The Eggs
Large. White, brown, or blue. Cage free, free range, or “regular”. Whatever you like.
The Cream
Heavy. Trader Joe’s pasteurized (not ultra) is my favorite. Side note: it whips up into cream faster than any other I’ve tried. A colleague even accidentally made butter once. That’s how fast it is. Super-fast!
The Sweet
REAL maple syrup. This can make it pricier. If you want to opt for a more budget-friendly bread pudding, do 1 cup sugar and 1 cup syrup.
The Spice
Cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg help the whole “French Toast” vibe along. I use whole nutmeg and grate it fresh.
The (more) Fat
Butter, melted. Lots of it.
The Extra
Maple syrup extract. Totally omittable, but again, totally amps the “French Toast” vibe.
The Stuff
Mascarpone cheese. Again, Trader Joe’s is my favorite. I once got a tub of another brand and it was the consistency of sour cream. NOT what I am looking for when I am wanting, say it with me, “MASK-Car-Pone-AY”
OPTIONS
Lighten er’ up!
I kind of hesitated giving these tips since the whole premise of this dish is that it’s an indulgent decadent masterpiece. However, I like the idea of options. Switch the cream out for milk, use half the butter, even omit the mascarpone. It’ll still be fabulous while remaining a slight guilty pleasure.
Short Cuts and Do-Aheads
Blend the custard in a large food processor or blender instead of hand-whisking. Combine the ingredients the evening before so you can just pop it in the oven in the morning. Or you can even bake it up to 3 days ahead of time, put it in the refrigerator and warm it in the oven before enjoying.
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PinDescription
French toast inspired bread pudding is a decadent indulgent masterpiece that comes together in minutes. All ingredients from Trader Joe’s!
Ingredients
1 loaf brioche bread, cubed (about 10 cups)
10 large eggs
3 C heavy cream
2 C maple syrup
1 C butter, melted
2 T cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg, grated fresh
1 t maple extract
8 oz mascarpone cheese
Instructions
Set the oven to 375° and grease an 8×10 or similar size baking dish.
In a large bowl, crack the eggs and whisk.
Add the cream, syrup, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple extract and whisk to combine.
Fold in the bread cubes until fully coated and pour into greased baking dish.
Cover with foil, place on a parchment or foil lined sheet pan, and bake for about 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and check the consistency of the middle by tapping the top. When it still jiggles a bit but doesn’t appear to be wet or runny in the middle, it is done. You can also check with a thermometer. The center should be at 160 or higher.
If it is not done, bake uncovered for another 15 minutes and check again. Repeat until it is done. (If the top starts to brown too much, replace the foil for the extra 15 minute increments to prevent burning)
Keywords: french toast, bread pudding, dessert, breakfast
Jillian Fae
Jillian believes her passion for cooking stems from the fact that she was born and raised in Southern California. The best climate conditions for growing the finest produce all year around and the diverse mix of cuisines have always been an inspiration to her. Her love and ability to make people happy by way of delicious food began at an early age and still grows today. She is the proud Chef and Owner of Jillian Fae Chef Services, a personal chef business specializing in private dinner parties, customized menus, and weekly meal preparation.
