This post is sponsored in conjunction with the #FamilyBakingChallenge. I received product to aid in the creation of the recipe. All opinions are mine alone.
You guys know getting the whole family in the kitchen is something that’s important to me – so I was so excited to jump in on the #FamilyBakingChallenge from Melissa’s Produce! Each week, they’ve been featuring a different seasonal ingredient and a few recipes. Your challenge is to take the recipe and make it your own!
Week one started off with a bang – and a new-to-us fruit: butterscotch pears! We loved them – and we loved this spin on bread pudding!
The recipe we started with was Butterscotch Pear Bread Pudding and we made a few tweaks to make it perfect for the holidays!
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Ingredients
For the croissant pudding:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 3 large Butterscotch Pears
- 6 cups croissant cubes, toasted until dry
- 2 cups eggnog
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the eggnog sauce:
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
One of the big things we switched up in this recipe was the bread base – instead of using brioche, I opted for croissants. We cut them into cubes and toasted them until the were dry to make sure they’d soak up all the wonderful eggnog sauce!
The eggnog was our other big switch – we used it in place of half and half. For this, it was just as creamy but really added a fun holiday flavor to this dessert!
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and stir to combine. Add the pear slices in one layer and cook without stirring or turning for 8 minutes until the pears begin to caramelize. Flip and cook another 8 minutes.
- While the pears cook, whisk together the remaining sugar, eggnog, milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the toasted croissant cubes to the prepared baking dish and pour the eggnog mixture over. Press the bread down to it’s all soaked with eggnog mixture.
- Layer the pear slices evenly over the top.
- Bake for about an hour, until fully set. Remove from the oven.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the eggnog, nutmeg, and cornstarch to make an eggnog sauce. Bring to a simmer until thickened.
- Drizzle over the croissant pudding and serve.
Bread pudding is a dessert that reheats really well – and this version is no different. It’s a great make-ahead option for your holiday celebrating! If making ahead, this can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days ahead of time. I suggest leaving off the eggnog sauce until you’re ready to serve.
More holiday desserts
Looking for more fun dessert ideas for the holidays? I am totally smitten with this Instant Pot Gingerbread Cheesecake. It’s smaller than a normal cheesecake put really big on flavor! Cranberry Caramel Pear Tart is another great holiday dessert and, like the croissant pudding, it features seasonal fruit.
In the mood for cookies? Winter Pecan Horns, Chocolate Hazelnut Slice and Bake Cookies, Chocolate Orange Crinkle Cookies, and Iced Cutout Cookies are some of my favorites for the holidays.
Recipe
Butterscotch Pear Croissant Pudding with Eggnog Sauce
Ingredients
For the croissant pudding:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 3 large Butterscotch Pears
- 6 cups croissant cubes, toasted until dry
- 2 cups eggnog
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the eggnog sauce:
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and stir to combine. Add the pear slices in one layer and cook without stirring or turning for 8 minutes until the pears begin to caramelize. Flip and cook another 8 minutes.
- While the pears cook, whisk together the remaining sugar, eggnog, milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the toasted croissant cubes to the prepared baking dish and pour the eggnog mixture over. Press the bread down to it's all soaked with eggnog mixture.
- Layer the pear slices evenly over the top.
- Bake for about an hour, until fully set. Remove from the oven.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the eggnog, nutmeg, and cornstarch to make an eggnog sauce. Bring to a simmer until thickened.
- Drizzle over the croissant pudding and serve.
Notes
Adapted from Butterscotch Pear Bread Pudding
