Butterscotch Bread Pudding...with butterscotch caramel sauce

This was one of those rare home runs with everyone. The bread pudding alone would probably been pretty terrific, but the addition of this caramel sauce, based on brown sugar so it picked up the butterscotch notes that took it from special to spectacular.

A trick I picked up over the years is that dry bread cubes soak up the custard for the bread pudding better than fresh cut cubes.  For that reason I cube the bread the night before and put it in the warm (170f) oven for an hour or so and then let it cool in there over night.

Butterscotch Bread Pudding

• 1 16 oz loaf French or Italian Bread, cubed
• 2 c cream
• 2 c milk
• 1/2 c melted butter
• 1 1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 c butterscotch chips.

Butter insides of a 13X9 baking dish.

Cube bread into roughly 1 inch cubes.  Place cubes on baking sheet in a warm, 170F oven for 1 hour.  Turn off heat and allow to sit overnight.

Combine cream,  milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt.  Put dried bread cubes  and 1/2 c butterscotch chips in a large bowl. Pour custard mixture over the bread and toss to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 - 3 hours to allow custard to soak into bread.  Toss occasionally.  

Preheat oven to 350F.  Pour bread pudding mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c butterscotch chips over top.  Bake 1 hour until puffed and golden brown and the and the edges are set.  Its OK if the center has a little jiggle.  Cool to set and serve at room temp.

Cut into squares and serve with warmed caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

• 6 T butter
• 3/4 c dark brown sugar
• 2 T dark corn syrup
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 t vanilla

Put butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in heavy bottom pan.  Over medium low heat gently stir with metal spoon or wire whisk until smooth.  Slowly bring to boil and boil 2 - 3 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved.  Slow add cream and stir constantly.  It will bubble vigorously.  Stir until smooth and cook 1-2 minutes longer until smooth and shiny.  Off heat stir in vanilla.  Pour into a serving container, or glass jar if making head.  If making ahead, zap in in the microwave for 1 minute to warm it a bit for serving.