To Die For

Baguette, boule, or roll — bread in nearly any form can be considered a work of art, provided the taste is right. Even for dessert! This bread pudding recipe comes to the rescue against every bread connoisseur’s worst nightmare: stale bread. It’s the perfect way to revitalize stale, crusty bread into a moist, delicious dessert. Especially ideal for cold winter nights, bread pudding is the ultimate comfort food!

Of course, bread doesn’t have to be stale to be used in bread pudding. You do want something sturdy and strong, to provide good structure to the pudding, but this can be achieved using a sufficiently crusty bread, or by lightly toasting a softer bread. It’s best to avoid any savory-flavored bread for a dessert pudding, but a rosemary or olive-studded bread would be delicious in a less-sweet version.

Now I know what you’re thinking — surely a bread pudding, combining milk and bread, would be the perfect dish to leave out for your favorite household brownie. (I am, of course, referring to the hobgoblin sort, and not the chocolate dessert or even the adorable Girl Scout variety.) I must warn you this is not the case. 

Brownies, while occasionally mischievous, are generally productive little darlings. But don’t let their helpfulness fool you. Brownies have skills far beyond lending a hand with housework, and extremely strong tempers, too. Any perceived insult can turn a friendly brownie into a boggart faster than you can say “oops.” 

The number one way to insult a brownie is by mishandling its offering. Brownies are quite fond of dairy, and will stay well pleased with a little offering of bread and milk left out overnight. The key word here is offering — anything that suggests that those bites are provided as a payment is dreadfully offensive to a brownie.

That is precisely why bread pudding is, unfortunately, a terrible offering to leave out for a brownie. Even if you would like to say thanks, it is best to rein in your gratitude. Dressing up the brownie’s simple meal of bread and milk, even in something as irresistible and delicious as this bread pudding recipe, implies a sense of payment owed. And trust me, you don’t want to risk facing a boggart!

So if you are lucky enough to have a brownie in your home, stick to the basics, and save this perfect winter dessert for yourself and your family and friends.