Potluck Food: Bourbon Bread Pudding Edition

Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Every once in awhile my office throws a potluck. The most popular theme by far is Southern BBQ, this was the third time it got set up. Ribs, potato salad, shrimp pie, corn on the cob... and Bourbon Bread Pudding for dessert.
I used dried cherries for the fruit that gets soaked in bourbon and challah for the bread base. Confession: This is the first time a recipe called for freshly grated nutmeg that I actually went and got whole nutmeg and grated it; surprising easy to grate! It takes me longer to grate ginger or zest a lemon.

A Shot of Spiced Custard Milk 

For the custard you actually end up pulling out 2 cups of liquid that don't get soaked into the bread. Alton recommends just drinking the concoction. I tried a shot, it wasn't bad (it won't replace a good cocktail in my heart though).

The end result came out with a nicely textured custard and fruit that retained some of the zing from the bourbon. Potluck crowd approved.

Difficulty Level: Medium
Will It Get Made Again? Maybe. This is a special occasion dish, if I have an event that calls for a bread pudding I would absolutely use this as an example. Realistically, that won't happen very often.

Bourbon Bread Pudding