Comfort food. We love it. It's inviting, it's familiar, it's warm -- like the texture of a favorite soft blanket or that feeling that washes over you when you hear an old, nostalgic song playing on the radio.
It's like a place to which you long to return, that one place that helps you, even if just for a moment, forget the grind of daily life or the burdens that weigh you down. It's like a cup of hot coffee and a long conversation with an old friend who has known you forever. Comfort food both grounds us and lifts us up, reminding us of where we've been and where we hope to be.
This recipe is pure fall comfort food. It also happens to be my absolute favorite bread pudding recipe of all time that I've been making for years. It's a bit of a crime that I haven't shared it with you until now. It's easy to prepare and has all the cozy, warm elements you're looking for in a comforting fall dessert. It's a dish that speaks love and wholesome, homemade hospitality with every bite.
Butterscotch bread pudding
Serves 8-10
1 loaf day-old Italian or French bread (about a 10-12 ounce loaf)
4 cups milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
pinch of salt
1 cup butterscotch chips
For serving: lightly sweetened whipped cream
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13 baking dish.
2. Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and add it to a large bowl.
3. To a blender, add the milk, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, melted butter and salt. Whirl until smooth and well combined. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and stir gently to make sure all the bread is coated. Add 1/2 cup of the butterscotch chips and stir gently. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining chips over top of the bread pudding. Bake 1 hour, until golden brown and puffed up (it should jiggle when you touch it in the center).
4. Slice while warm into squares and serve with whipped cream on top. Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated. Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.
Maya Evoy lives in Nikiski and blogs about food at Alaska from Scratch. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.