Salted Caramel Pretzel Bread Pudding Recipes

PUMPKIN CARAMEL BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Stir together the sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan until the consistency resembles wet sand. Brush down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Cook, undisturbed, over medium-high heat until the sugar melts and turns a dark amber, 8 to 11 minutes. Do not stir during this time but once it starts to turn caramel, you can swirl the pan to distribute the color.
• While the caramel cooks, bring the heavy cream to a low simmer in a small saucepan. Once the caramel is dark amber, carefully whisk in the warm cream. The cream will bubble up. Add the butter and salt, whisk until smooth, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Whisk together the milk, eggs, yolks, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Carefully whisk in 1/3 of the warm caramel sauce until fully incorporated, then whisk in the remaining caramel sauce. Set aside.
• Toss together the stale bread cubes and the pecans in the prepared baking dish, then arrange them in an even layer. Pour the caramel pumpkin custard over the top. Cover and let soak 30 minutes in the refrigerator, pushing down the bread occasionally to submerge it.
• Bake until the custard has set and the top is a nice golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving with whipped cream or ice cream.

SALTED CARAMEL BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Combine the cream, butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter melt, then slowly simmer the cream until it reduces slightly, about 10 minutes. Be careful that the mixture doesn¿t boil over; if it does, reduce or remove from the heat.
• Break the bread up into 1-inch pieces. Day-old bread is best but any bread will work. Place the bread in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch-by-8-inch cake pan.
• Add the reduced heavy cream mixture to the bread pieces and mix until combined. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and sprinkle the kosher salt over the top. You want just a light sprinkle to give it that salty and sweet taste. Bake until firm in the middle, like brownies, about 20 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

SALTED CARAMEL MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• For the monkey bread: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the biscuit pieces and toss to combine.
• Place the pieces in the pan, sprinkling in the dates, raisins and walnuts. Set aside.
• Add the brown sugar and butter to a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted and started to bubble, then add the heavy cream and salt and whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Remove from the heat and pour over the dough pieces in the Bundt pan. Put the pan into the oven and bake until golden brown and no longer doughy in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn upside down on a large platter to remove the pan.
• Slice while warm, drizzled with the salted caramel sauce and dollops of whipped cream.

SALTED CARAMEL-BANANA BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Make the caramel: Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, gently swirling the pan but not stirring, until amber, about 10 minutes. Brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the butter, heavy cream, bourbon, lemon juice and kosher salt (the mixture will bubble). Pour into a bowl and set aside.
• Make the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Whisk the eggs, sugar and kosher salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, heavy cream and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the toasted bread and the banana slices. Transfer half of the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the caramel, then top with the remaining bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Cover and refrigerate the remaining caramel until ready to serve.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the bread pudding with sea salt and bake until golden brown and set, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Warm the remaining caramel and drizzle on top.

SALTED CARAMEL-PRETZEL THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Put 1/4 cup pretzels in a resealable plastic bag and crush into coarse crumbs with a rolling pin.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks, honey, vanilla and fine salt in a medium bowl, then add to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour and pretzel crumbs and beat until just combined.
• Put the remaining 1 1/4 cups pretzels in the resealable bag and roughly crush with the rolling pin; spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough on top and roll into balls, pressing so the pretzels adhere. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets; make a deep indentation in each with your thumb. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until lightly golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Re-indent with the back of a teaspoon, if necessary. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Fill each indentation with dulce de leche and sprinkle with sea salt.