Blueberry Mascarpone Bread Pudding
| Ingredient | 7 Cups (10 oz.) | 7 Cups (300cc) |
|---|---|---|
| white bread | 5-6 slices | 5-6 slices |
| mascarpone cheese | 8 oz. | 226g |
| heavy cream | 1 cup | 1 cup |
| milk | 1½ cups | 1½ cups |
| sugar | ½-⅔ cup | 100-120g |
| egg | 4 whole + 1 yolk | 4 whole + 1 yolk |
| blueberries | 1½ cups | 1½ cups |
| vanilla extract | 1 tsp. | 1 tsp. |
| powdered sugar | to dust | to dust |
This rich bread pudding brightened with tart blueberries is less a breakfast and more a dessert than some, and almost certainly among the best you’ll ever taste. Delicious enough in its base form, the addition of mascarpone cheese, while it might seem like an unnecessary expense compared to cream cheese, adds a heavenly richness and subtle complexity that elevates it to something spectacular.
Preparation
- Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces.
- Prepare a baking pan to use for a water bath that will hold the oven-proof cups or ramekins.
Directions
- Divide blueberries and bread among cups.
Divide the cubed bread and blueberries among the oven-proof cups or ramekins you will be using. Reserve a few blueberries to put on top of each. - Heat heavy cream, milk, and sugar.
Mix the heavy cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over low, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Be careful not to let it boil. Remove from heat. - Whisk eggs.
In a bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolk together, but whisk gently enough not to create any foam. - Mix liquid ingredients in large bowl.
Put the mascarpone cheese in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the egg, a little at a time, stirring gently with the whisk until blended after each addition. Add the milk mixture and stir gently with the whisk until well mixed. Add the vanilla extract and stir in. - Strain.
Use a wire mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a second bowl. Discard any lumps. - Add custard to cups.
Pour the custard mixture over the bread and blueberries in each cup, dividing evenly between the cups. Sprinkle the reserved blueberries on top of each cup decoratively. - Bake in water bath.
Arrange the cups in the baking pan, then fill the pan with enough hot water to reach about two thirds of the way up the cups. Put this in the oven and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 50-60 minutes. When a tester inserted comes out clean, it is done. The baking time will vary depending on the temperature of the water when it goes in the oven. - Cool, decorate, and serve.
Remove from oven, and set the cups on a rack if you want to let them cool before eating; dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving and serve hot or warm.
Notes
- For a richer pudding, you can replace some of the milk with heavy cream, as long as the total volume of milk and cream is the same (2½ cups/600cc).
- If you don’t want to waste the egg white, you can leave the extra yolk out entirely and just use four whole eggs.
- You can substitute cream cheese for the mascarpone; warm the cream cheese to room temperature and whip it until smooth first.
- Although these will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, they are best eaten fresh while the top is still a bit crispy and the inside is nice and warm.