To be fair, bread pudding is an extremely delicious dish that was simply tagged with a terrible name and a rather unfortunate look. As a youngster I could hardly stomach the sight of it, all soggy and sad in its bowl, like a sandwich that had fallen into the pool and then been tossed in the blender. Now that I’m older and smarter, I see the beauty of bread pudding. It’s a day-old visionary’s dream that delivers so much texture and spice it’s suddenly not so hard to understand what keeps it shuffling down through the generations. You can use any bread you choose, just make sure it’s something sturdy.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1 tablespoon melted refined coconut oil or canola oil, plus more for brushing the tray

　　8 cups day-old gluten-free bread or cupcakes, cut in 2-inch cubes

　　1/2 cup dried cranberries

　　1/2 cup diced apples

　　1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

　　2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

　　1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 cup rice milk

　　1/3 cup agave nectar

　　1 tablespoon vanilla extract

　　Vanilla Icing (page 127)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly brush an 8 1/2-inch square baking pan with coconut oil and set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, combine the bread cubes, cranberries, apples, pecans (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until fully incorporated. Stir in the rice milk, coconut oil, agave nectar, and vanilla and let stand for 20 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Drizzle with the Vanilla Icing and serve.

　　Reprinted December 9, 2011, with permission from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna, © 2011 Clarkson Potter. Buy the full book at Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.