Bacon and Fig Bread Pudding

I must confess, my family hates raisins and refuse to eat even one. About five years ago, Lawyer Boy was in Lafayette, LA for a summer internship and we went to visit. We ate dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Prejean’s where we had gumbo, boudin, and bread pudding with rum sauce. Mr. Picky eater, Lawyer Boy, and I all picked out our raisins eating our dessert. While everyone loved bread pudding, no one wanted raisins so I tried all different kinds that I found on the Internet and nothing made them happy…….that is until I made one up. Before your eyes bug out of your head and it spins on its axis, read the entire recipe and try it – we love it so much that – diet or not, as soon as I finished taking that picture above? I stood in our front yard eating the bowlful! I would have licked the bowl clean but I was afraid there may be a neighbor watching me. Instead of raisins or cherries or chocolate or pumpkin I put in bacon and figs. Yep, bacon and figs and let me tell you, this is a fabulous combination!

Bacon and Fig Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1 full loaf of French bread (you can use regular or whatever you like but we use this)
4 eggs
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Cups milk – I used evaporated
¾ Cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ Cup chopped and rum soaked figs
½ Cup Bacon, fried crisp and chopped small

Directions:

First you chop the figs and put in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of rum letting it sit for about an hour.
Cut the crust off the French Loaf of bread.
Tear it up and put it in an 8×8 pan.
Set oven to 350 F.
Place room temperature eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix on high for between 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Then turn down to a lower setting and add milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Sprinkle the bacon and drained figs (reserve rum) on bread.

After mixture is whipped up, pour it on top of bread and then, using a spoon or spatula, press torn bread into liquid mixture until it is soaking.
Taking a Dutch oven (I also use the rack in bottom) set the 8×8 pan in and pour hot water ½ way up the side of the bread pudding pan – like this:

Place in oven for 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
While pan is sitting on wire rack cooling you can make the rum sauce.

Rum Sauce Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
½ Cup sugar
1 Cup of milk – I used the rest of the 2nd can of evaporated milk
3 Tablespoons of Rum

Directions:

Put butter in pot and melt. Mix cornstarch and sugar together then add to melted butter, stirring. Add Milk and stir steadily until it comes to a boil. Continue stirring until it thickens. Take off heat and add in the 3 tablespoons used to soak figs.

The taste is a subtle combo of sweet, salty and savory. It is incredible! I will tell you that I have never like all the bacon related sweets I’ve tried, like bacon cupcakes, donuts, and cakes or brownies…..but I LOVE this and so does the entire family. I usually have to double this recipe so everyone can have some.

Can you tell I REALLY like the sauce? There’s way too much on this for most people!

Enjoy!