It is Thanksgiving week, and I’m in food extravaganza mode. I love the process of perusing recipes, planning the menu, cooking and eating it all. We have our yearly favorites, as I’m sure everyone does, but I always try to find something different to add to the table. This year, in addition to our traditional desserts, I wanted to throw in a little twist on a familiar favorite, bread pudding. Since I’m in extravaganza mode, I went all in with this recipe; apples, streusel topping, and a buttery rum-spiked sauce to top it off. The recipe may seem long, but I assure you it isn’t difficult to put together. It turned out exactly how I like my bread pudding; fluffy, tender, flavorful and a satisfyingly crispy top. Consider putting this treat on your table, and I hope it will earn a spot there every year.

Apple Bread Pudding

4 cups Brioche or Bolillo Rolls, cubed into 1-inch pieces

2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cubed

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

pinch of Salt

pinch of Nutmeg

2 Tablespoon Apple Juice Concentrate

1 Tablespoon Rum

1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

1/4 cup Milk

3/4 cup Half and Half

1/3 cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Place bread cubes on baking sheet and toast in oven until dry, but not browned, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples and 2 T. sugar, stirring to combine. Cook until apples have softened and begun to turn a golden color, about 5-7 minutes. Off the heat, add in cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, apple juice concentrate, and rum. Return to heat and cook until the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy, about 3-4 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, milk, half and half, sugar, and vanilla. Add in cubed bread and apples, leaving the syrup in the skillet. Mix well to combine.

Spray four ramekins or an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon in the soaked bread cubes and any remaining custard. Set ramekins or dish on a baking sheet, for easy transport.

Streusel Topping

2 Tablespoons Flour

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 Tablespoon Butter, softened

Mix the flour and sugar in a small bowl. Using a fork, combine the butter into the flour and sugar mixture until it clumps. They should be about the size of peas.

Sprinkle the topping onto the bread pudding. Bake in preheated oven to 25-28 minutes if using ramekins, and 35-40 minutes if using 8 x 8 baking dish. They are done when they are puffed and spring back a little when tapped in the center.

Butter Rum Sauce

Reserved syrup from cooking apples

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Apple Juice Concentrate

1 teaspoon Rum

1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream

pinch of Salt

Place skillet with reserved apple syrup over medium low heat. Add in the butter, swirling the pan until it is melted. Remove from heat. Add in the apple juice concentrate, rum, heavy cream, and salt. Return to stove and heat until warm. Serve drizzled over each portion of warm bread pudding.

This can also be assembled up to the point of baking, without adding the streusel topping, and placed in the refrigerator for several hours. When ready to bake, top with streusel topping and bake, adding an couple extra minutes to the baking time. Sauce can be made ahead and gently reheated as well.