This luxurious dessert combines the comforting elegance of bread pudding with the delightful crunch of apple crisp. Soft sautéed apples and rich custard are layered with dried fruits, then topped with a crispy crumble of nuts and grains. Finished with a decadent white chocolate caramel sauce, this show-stopping dish is perfect for holiday gatherings.
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Adapted from a video by Chef Jean-Pierre
The Perfect Dessert For The Holidays! | Chef Jean-Pierre
heavy whipping cream (for caramel)may use slightly less than 1 cup1 cup
white chocolatechopped, to add to caramel sauce
unsalted butter (for caramel)small knob, to finish the caramel sauce
Steps
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1
Prepare the ingredients. Cut the brioche bread into chunks and place in a large bowl.
2
Heat the butter until lightly nutty. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, watching carefully until it turns a light golden color with a nutty aroma—do not over-brown.
3
Sauté the apples. Add chopped Granny Smith apples to the browned butter and cook until soft.
4
Season the apples. Sprinkle dark brown sugar and a small pinch of cinnamon over the cooked apples.
5
Prepare the dried fruit blend. Combine the dried apricots, white raisins, cranberries, and black cherries in a bowl.
6
Combine bread and dried fruits. Mix the bread chunks with the dried fruit mixture, then spread in a baking pan.
7
Make the custard. Whisk together 12 eggs, 3 cups heavy cream, 1 cup sugar, 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract, and a pinch of nutmeg. Use an electric mixer to beat until light and slightly fluffy.
8
Pour the custard over the bread mixture and gently combine. Add the sautéed apples, stirring gently to distribute evenly.
9
Prepare the crumble topping. Combine 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup Grape Nuts cereal, 1/2 cup five grain cereal, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, and 3/4 cup almond flour. Add softened butter and rub together with fingertips until evenly distributed.
10
Top with the crumble. Spread the crumble mixture evenly over the custard layer.
11
Bake at 375°F for about 30–45 minutes, until the pudding rises slightly and the crumble top is golden brown.
12
Cool. Remove from the oven and allow to rest and cool before serving, just like lasagna.
13
Make the caramel sauce. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a pot. Stir gently just at the bottom to combine. If sugar crystals form on the sides, brush them down with a wet silicone brush. Leave the mixture untouched until it turns deep mahogany brown.
14
Manage the heat. Once the caramel reaches a deep brown color, gently move the pan to redistribute heat if one side is browning faster than the other.
15
Add the cream. Once the caramel is dark mahogany brown, carefully add about 1 cup heavy cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously—use caution to avoid splattering.
16
Add white chocolate and butter. Stir in chopped white chocolate and a small knob of butter into the hot caramel until fully melted and combined.
17
Cool and bottle. Pour the caramel sauce into a glass container to cool. Once cooled, transfer to a squeeze bottle. If the sauce thickens too much when cold, reheat briefly in the microwave.
18
Serve. Cut the cooled pudding into slices. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with the caramel sauce.
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