Eggnog Bread Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does eggnog thicken as it ages? ›

Boozy eggnog will also continue to thicken in the fridge as it ages.

To prevent horribly runny bread pudding, you also want to warm up the milk before adding it to the other ingredients for easier soaking. Additionally, cover the bread pudding with foil — but only for half of the baking time. This will ensure that the pudding is neither overdone nor underdone.

Top each glass with a dash of nutmeg (freshly grated is best) and a pinch of finely grated orange zest. Serve and enjoy, preferably near a crackling fireplace.

Bread pudding's magic is how the old, dried bread can be re-invigorated with a mixture of milk, eggs, and sugar that it soaks up like a sponge, but when the eggs aren't properly beaten you have a separation of the beaten yolk from the beaten whites which gives you the scrambled egg look and flavor.

Traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk, and sugar, no one would say that eggnog is a healthy drink. Even a small serving can pack significant amounts of calories, fat, saturated fat, and added sugars. And then there's the fact that homemade eggnog made with raw eggs can be a food-poisoning risk.

“Think what's in it: heavy cream, milk, sugar, whipped eggs and alcohol.” And with the recommended serving size a paltry half a cup, eggnog is easy to over-indulge. High in fat and sugar, a single serving contains one-third of the fat Americans should eat daily.

Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to judge whether the pudding is fully baked, is to gently press down on the center of the pudding. If any custard comes up to the top, the pudding needs to be baked a little longer.

One major problem that you may have come across is bread pudding that is just too wet. A good bread pudding needs to be moist with a custardy-like texture, but it should not be anywhere close to runny.

Bake until pudding is deep golden brown, is beginning to rise up sides of baking dish, and jiggles very slightly at the center when shaken, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Drizzle a little chocolate sauce into the shaker with the eggnog for a chocolate eggnog. Add a splash of vanilla or almond extract, or turn your eggnog into an iced eggnog latte by pouring a shot of espresso into the shaker. Either way, you'll feel the spirit of the holidays!

Why you should be careful with that eggnog? ›

Eggs must be cooked to 160 degrees F to kill bacteria such as Salmonella that may be present. If your eggnog recipe calls for raw eggs, it may not be safe. Adding alcohol inhibits bacterial growth, but it cannot be relied upon to kill bacteria.

You'll find festive cartons of chilled nog in the refrigerator section of the grocery store from Halloween through New Years. Made with the typical ingredients (minus the alcohol), you'll also find thickeners and stabilizers, artificial colors and flavors; some are also sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

Not allowing it to rest after baking

It is usual for bread pudding to somewhat collapse when it goes from the oven to the room temperature air, but you surely don't want to further contribute to it becoming flat. Therefore, don't dish it out too quickly.

A good bread pudding needs to be moist -- it is made from custard, after all -- but it should not be anywhere close to runny.

Reheating bread pudding in the oven has proven to be the most effective method to preserve its moistness. The even heat distribution of the oven gently warms the dish, and covering it with foil assures that the moisture is retained within the pudding, rather than evaporating.

While fresh eggnog is simple, smooth, and, well, fresh-tasting, aged eggnog is much more aggressive. The booze comes out stronger, and there are medicinal, almost minty flavors that people will pick up on—almost as if you've spiked your eggnog with an herbal liqueur, like Fernet-Branca.

The idea? Make a batch of eggnog and let it age for at least three weeks in the refrigerator before drinking. The rest period supposedly drives off eggy taste while giving the other flavors a chance to meld. At the same time, the alcohol has a chance to kill any potential pathogens in the mix.

The difference between the two varieties is that “old fashioned” eggnog is creamier and more strongly spiced than “classic,” Darigold spokesperson Erin Byrne said. “Classic” eggnog has 6% butterfat and is spiced with nutmeg, whereas “old fashioned” eggnog has 7% butterfat and is spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.

If you're unsure whether eggnog has gone off, give it a whiff, and check for these signs: lumpy texture. spoiled milk smell. color change from beige or mild yellow.