I've made a couple discoveries: 1) I don't like whiskey. 2) Whiskey-spiked whipped cream is the bomb.
I adapted Joe's grandmother's Irish Bread & Butter Pudding for my book club's Irish tea-themed event last week. I'd had it many times made by his mom, and it's the ultimate comfort food. Perhaps the main way Irish Bread & Butter Pudding differs from other bread puddings is that the bread is buttered before being soaked with the custard and baked. But I wanted to update the recipe a little. For a fancier teatime look I made the pudding in this quiche dish instead of the ordinary 9x13-inch pan. I also lightened up quantities of butter and eggs, and both endeavors called for messing with all the proportions. I used my co-workers as guinea pigs for the first batch, which I can now admit was a bit soggy. I don't think they noticed, though, because it was the whiskey-spiked whipped cream that got all the attention. "Did you say whiskey??" Yes, and go light on the whipped cream, at least until deadline.
That was my other update: I soaked the raisins in whiskey, and then spiked the whipped cream with some. I love how the cream smooths out the edges of the hard stuff. This is not your grandma's bread pudding. Or at least not Grandma O'Neil's, though her whiskey-free original is still awesome. I also brush some apricot jam on at the end for added sweetness and color. And the proportions of round two worked out with the approval of Joe, who said it tasted authentic, in the family sense.
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| The gracious hosting and gorgeous decor were courtesy of Rebecca of A Love Letter to Rome. The amazing Mrs. Hot Potato baked the lower two tiers of Lemon; Chocolate, Almond & Toffee; and Parmesan Thyme Cheddar Chive Shortbread. |
