This one time, in China … Hold on, we know where this is going! No, you hold on! This one time in China, we met this local guy who adopted the English name “White Chocolate,” as he was a huge fan of NBA star Jason Williams. We spent an entertaining evening on the banks of the Tuo River watching boats, munching on pistachios, and sipping expensive bourbon. See. You had no idea.
Ingredients
BREAD PUDDING:
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups half-and-half or cream
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 4 Tbsp bourbon whiskey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 5 cups (about 1 lb) crusty bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup pistachios, shelled
BOURBON SAUCE:
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup bourbon whiskey
How to Make It
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half or cream, brown sugar, bourbon, salt, and vanilla.
- Smear butter across the bottom and sides of a baking dish. Place half of the bread pieces into the baking dish. Be sure you have one even layer with a flat top (no bread hills). Sprinkle chocolate chips and pistachios across the top of the bread. Scatter the remaining bread in another layer, followed by the remaining chocolate and pistachios.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture, being sure that some of the liquid reaches most, if not all, of the bread. Use the back of a wooden spoon, a clean hand, or spatula, to compress the whole mixture to ensure that the liquid is evenly distributed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 1 hour (or in the refrigerator overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Uncover the baking dish and transfer to the center rack of the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is beginning to brown and get crusty. If the top has browned before 40 minutes is up, loosely place aluminum foil across the top of the baking dish for the remainder of time.
- To make the sauce, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and salt, and stir until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and bourbon, and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and set aside until the bread pudding is to be served.
- Remove the bread pudding from the oven, and scoop hot servings with an oversized spoon! Dress with bourbon sauce and enjoy!
