Luscious. Deadly, very good.
Banana and Dark Rum Bread Pudding
This rich version of bread pudding was developed by SAVEUR test kitchen director Kellie Evans, who recommends it as a great way to use up overripe bananas or soon-to-go-stale bread. Its spicy, warm flavors pair perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cup of strong coffee.
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Credit: Helen Rosner
FOR THE PUDDING
1 tbsp. butter, to grease the pan
12 Mexican sweet pan rolls, seedless hamburger buns, or potato rolls (about 28 ounces total), cut or torn into 1-inch cubes
4 very ripe bananas
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
¼ cup dark rum, like Myers
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups whole milk
FOR THE SAUCE
¼ cup dark rum, like Myers
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1. Make the bread pudding: Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 9"x13" casserole dish with the butter; fill with the torn bread.
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Add sugars, maple syrup, eggs, and salt and blend together. Add ¼ cup rum, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cream, and milk and whisk until incorporated. Pour the mixture over the bread and mix together gently. Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes. If it starts to look dry, add a little milk to the bread. Bake for 30 minutes or until most of the custard is absorbed &mdas; the mixture shouldn't be too dry.
3. Make the sauce: Heat the rum and the condensed milk in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and darkens to a golden brown. Pour the sauce over cooked bread pudding in the casserole dish; serve with remaining sauce on the side.
