Welcome back to our occasional series, “How They Made It,” where we explore the food and drink of Outlander. It’s time for family dinner at Fraser’s Ridge, featuring chocolate chip bread pudding. Slainté!
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I want another family dinner (and dessert) at Fraser’s Ridge
Well, Outlander Season 4 is coming to a close, and our heroes are scattered all about the colonies. As I write this, Jamie, Claire and Young Ian (wee Ian?) are hot on the trail to retrieve Roger somewhere in New York, Brianna and Lord John are at River Run after visiting Stephen Bonnet, and Fergus and Marsali are heading to Fraser’s Ridge with Murtagh.
Ahh…I long for those early days at Fraser’s Ridge when the Frasers gathered around the table for those wonderful family dinners. Doesn’t it seem just yesterday that we were baking Sourdough Spice Cake along with Claire? My how the season has flown by. So in one last attempt to delay the dreaded Droughtlander, let’s look at another dish Claire might have served at those family gatherings…bread pudding. But not just any bread pudding (after all, Jamie’s still is up and running, and maybe some of that spirit has been aged just a bit) – let’s make Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Maple Butterscotch Whisky Sauce.
Doesn’t this look cozy? Don’t mind me…I’ll just pull up a chair… (photo credit: Outlander STARZ)
Recipes abound for bread pudding
There are any number of recipes for bread pudding available online, but the concept is simple; basically, it is stale bread soaked in an egg and cream custard, then baked until the custard sets. I adapted my recipe below from the one found in the Outlander Kitchen Cookbook by Theresa Carle-Sanders, but I also looked at many other sources as well.
Using good bread, good maple syrup, and definitely good scotch in this bread pudding
Maple Butterscotch Whisky Sauce…just saying that makes me say, “yummmmm”
The technique isn’t difficult…cube up some bread, add in the mix-ins, and make a custard with milk, eggs, and sugar. Speaking of the custard, it’s is in the same family as the pastry cream from Boston Cream Pie, Egg Custard, or even Egg Nog (I like the spectrum concept…don’t you?). As for the choice of mix-ins, maybe the Frasers would have used different ingredients (and probably not chocolate), but they’d have used some aspects of dried fruits, nuts and flavorings such as molasses and maple. After all, bread pudding is so easily customizable, so I took a little liberty with the mix-ins I used. Creativity in the kitchen is a plus, people!
Mixing up the bread pudding
Before and after baking…everything is nice and toasty brown
The Maple Butterscotch Whisky Sauce comes together very quickly…it only takes about 15 minutes to get dessert sauce nirvana
Just one more glimpse of a peaceful Fraser family at dinner (photo credit: Outlander STARZ)
I’m not ready for Droughtlander!
As I go live with this post, I’m planning on serving this bread pudding to the Outlander Cast staff at a get-together before the finale party on Sunday. However, I did sample the whiskey sauce…rich, creamy with flavors of good Highland scotch (in this case, The Balvenie DoubleWood 12yr, something I served with Southern Brown Sugar Pie at the Season 4 premiere party I attended…good times). I poured the sauce on coffee ice cream…divine! So even though Droughtlander is almost here (waaaaa!!!), we can commiserate together with a big helping of bread pudding (and perhaps a wee dram of scotch). Droughtlander won’t last forever, and Season 5 is coming…J’est Sui Prest and Tulard Ard!
Are you planning an Outlander finale watching party? What are you planning to serve?
Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Maple Butterscotch Whisky Sauce
Special Equipment
- Pyrex 3-qt glass oblong baking dish
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 1 loaf french bread, cubed, about 8-10 cups (16 oz, 450g)
- 1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped (5½ oz, 160g)
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (4 oz, 113g)
- 2 cups chocolate chips, (12 oz, 340g)
- ½ cup butter, melted (4 oz, 113g)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed (6½ oz, 185g)
- ½ cup maple syrup, (5½ oz, 156g)
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup whisky, optional, see Recipe Notes (2 oz, 56g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, see Recipe Notes
- ? tsp ground cloves, see Recipe Notes
- 2 cups milk, see Recipe Notes (16 oz, 454g)
- 1 cup heavy cream, (8 oz, 227g)
Butterscotch Sauce
- ½ cup butter, (4 oz, 113g)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (3½ oz, 100g)
- ½ cup maple syrup, (5½ oz, 156g)
- ¼ cup whisky, optional, see Recipe Notes (2 oz, 56g)
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed (8 oz, 227g)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Procedure
- Move rack to middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a Pyrex 3-qt glass oblong baking dish (2-inch deep 9-inch x 13-inch).
Make the Bread Pudding
- In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, dried cherries, chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup of the pecans. Add the melted butter and toss to coat evenly.
- In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, then add brown sugar, maple syrup, whisky, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and whisk until combined. Whisk in milk and cream. Pour into bread mixture and mix well. Let sit at least 30 minutes for custard to soak into the bread cubes.
- Pour bread mixture into the buttered baking dish and top with remaining pecans. Bake 40-60 minutes, or until golden brown and custard is almost set (it will finish setting as it cools). Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes.
Make the Whisky Sauce
- While the bread pudding is baking, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and stir until smooth.
- Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Stir in whisky (mixture will sizzle) and cook about 30 seconds, then stir in warmed cream and salt. Bring back to boil and cook and stir 1 minute, then remove from heat and let cool.
- To serve, reheat bread pudding at 325°F until warm (if needed). Drizzle the sauce on, then plate and serve with additional sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Discovering Outlander after Season 1 first aired, Tammy quickly went down the rabbit-hole on social media and podcasts and found a world of like-minded fans who not only tolerated her obsession, but encouraged the madness! She combined her Outlander-inspired interest for scotch whisky with her continuing passion for baking and storytelling in her blog, Scotch & Scones…Explorations in a glass and in the oven. Joining the staff of Outlander Cast as the resident baker has brought Tammy full circle, from a podcast fan to a contributing writer. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest at @scotch_scones, and find her on Facebook at @scotchandsconesblog.
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