Raspberry Bread Pudding Cups

This dish was inspired by Kneader's Raspberry Bread Pudding, but it's not a copy cat recipe.  It's not slathered in sugar & heavy cream & baked, it's more of a classic bread pudding with milk & eggs, making it a bit healthier, & still delicious.  I included a twist with the raspberries by adding lime zest & juice which compliments the fruit really well.  I was very pleased with this dish.  Plus who doesn't like individual petite desserts, right?

Raspberry Bread Pudding Cups

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Bread Pudding:

• 4 cups cubed Italian bread, stale in a bowl overnight
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (approximately 12oz) fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Zest & juice of 1 lime (approximately 2-3 Tbsp)

Vanilla Cream Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup whole milk
• dash salt

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, 1 cup sugar, & vanilla.  Soak stale cubed Italian bread for 10-20 minutes, stirring as necessary, until the bread looks like it has absorbed the mixture well (it will still have liquid in it.)
2. In a separate bowl, combine fresh raspberries, 1/2 cup sugar & the zest & juice of 1 lime.  Gently fold with a spatula & let macerate while bread cubes are soaking.
3. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Generously grease muffin tin(s).  Drain any liquid from the raspberries.  Scoop some bread mixture into each cup of the muffin tin, then several berries, & one last small scoop of the bread mixture.  Make sure any liquid is evenly distributed amongst the cups.  
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until mixture is set & a toothpick in the center comes out dry.  *Make sure you place a baking sheet underneath the muffin trays to catch any possible spills.
5. While the bread pudding cups are baking you can prepare the sauce.  In a small saucepan, combine butter with flour to form a roux just until it bubbles.  Add 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, whole milk & a dash of salt whisking constantly until mixture bubbles up.  Once it bubbles up, remove pan from stove top quickly (it rises fast) & let set 5 minutes.
6. Scoop out a bread pudding cup & top with desired amount of vanilla cream sauce.  Best served warm.

*Makes 18 muffin tin cups.

**If you make this the standard way with a 9x13" pan, you might not need to drain your raspberries, but I found the cups with more of the juice from the raspberry mixture made the bread a little soggy compared to just moist & fluffy.  

This dish was inspired by Kneader's Raspberry Bread Pudding, but it's not a copy cat recipe.  It's not slathered in sugar & heavy cream & baked, it's more of a classic bread pudding with milk & eggs, making it a bit healthier, & still delicious.  I included a twist with the raspberries by adding lime zest & juice which compliments the fruit really well.  I was very pleased with this dish.  Plus who doesn't like individual petite desserts, right?

Raspberry Bread Pudding Cups

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Bread Pudding:

• 4 cups cubed Italian bread, stale in a bowl overnight
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (approximately 12oz) fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Zest & juice of 1 lime (approximately 2-3 Tbsp)

Vanilla Cream Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup whole milk
• dash salt

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, 1 cup sugar, & vanilla.  Soak stale cubed Italian bread for 10-20 minutes, stirring as necessary, until the bread looks like it has absorbed the mixture well (it will still have liquid in it.)
2. In a separate bowl, combine fresh raspberries, 1/2 cup sugar & the zest & juice of 1 lime.  Gently fold with a spatula & let macerate while bread cubes are soaking.
3. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Generously grease muffin tin(s).  Drain any liquid from the raspberries.  Scoop some bread mixture into each cup of the muffin tin, then several berries, & one last small scoop of the bread mixture.  Make sure any liquid is evenly distributed amongst the cups.  
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until mixture is set & a toothpick in the center comes out dry.  *Make sure you place a baking sheet underneath the muffin trays to catch any possible spills.
5. While the bread pudding cups are baking you can prepare the sauce.  In a small saucepan, combine butter with flour to form a roux just until it bubbles.  Add 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, whole milk & a dash of salt whisking constantly until mixture bubbles up.  Once it bubbles up, remove pan from stove top quickly (it rises fast) & let set 5 minutes.
6. Scoop out a bread pudding cup & top with desired amount of vanilla cream sauce.  Best served warm.

*Makes 18 muffin tin cups.

**If you make this the standard way with a 9x13" pan, you might not need to drain your raspberries, but I found the cups with more of the juice from the raspberry mixture made the bread a little soggy compared to just moist & fluffy.