Dried Blueberry and Candied Pineapple Bread Pudding With Lemon Curd Sauce

Believe it or not, I had leftover French bread from last month's Daring Bakers' challenge! Wrapped well in aluminum foil and put in the freezer until I was ready to serve the bread again. When life gives you leftover French bread, make a bread pudding! My family raved over the caramelized pear bread pudding I posted by in January so it was easy to prepare the same basic recipe, but this time substituted dried blueberries for the raisins, added chopped candied pineapple and poured a lemon curd sauce over the baked puddings. Another winner in my household! I used a good French bread from the bakery in my local grocery when I made the caramelized pear bread pudding, but this one made with Julia's French bread was definitely better.

2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 cups cubed, day-old french bread
2 tablespoons dried blueberries
1/2 cup chopped candied pineapple
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 teaspoons additional, divided


Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming, about 4-6 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until blended;gradually whisk in 1/4 cup sugar. Slowly whisk in the hot milk until blended. Add vanilla, lemon zest and nutmeg.

Add bread, candied pineapple and dried blueberries to the mixture; gently fold together. Press down lightly to submerge the mixture. Cover and set aside at room temperature. Butter the sides and bottom of a round or oval 2 quart baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put a kettle on to boil.



Set the baking dish in a shallow baking pan.Spoon the bread pudding mixture into the baking dish. Press down on the bread to submerge it. Place the pan in the oven and slowly pour the hot water into the shallow baking pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake until brown on the top and set in the center-about 1 1/2 hours. Carefully remove the pan form the oven. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let cool at least 45 minutes. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the pudding. Place a serving platter over it and invert. Spoon over Lemon Curd Sauce Serves 8.



Lemon Curd Sauce

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter

Combine ingredients in a small heatproof bowl over a small pot of simmering water, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Cover tightly, refrigerate curd until cold.
Note: When serving this sauce with the bread pudding above, warm in a pot until sauce loosens slightly.