"This is as good as it gets!" Alan exclaimed as he took his fourth forkful of this creation, followed by a fifth. Picture a warm, creamy, puffy bread pudding, straight from the oven, that tastes like it was made in a praline confectionery shop in New Orleans. You start with a loaf of challah, cut it into thick slices, and pour over a rich, creamy custard. Marble it with a buttery brown-sugar praline crunch filled with pecans and flavored with cinnamon. The secret is to refrigerate the pudding for several hours or overnight before baking; it's the long soak that makes this bread pudding the best you've ever tasted!

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 generous servings

　　One 1-pound loaf challah (preferably the braided one) or brioche

　　8 extra-large eggs

　　2 cups heavy whipping cream

　　1 1/2 cups whole milk

　　1 cup granulated sugar

　　1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

　　1/2 teaspoon table salt

　　1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　

For the Praline Topping

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

　　1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

　　3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　3 tablespoonsn maple syrup for drizzling

　　

Step 1

1. Generously butter a rectangular baking dish (13 x 9 x 2 1/2 inches); use the prettiest one you have. Set out a large shallow pan for the water bath. Cut the bread across into 3/4-inch-thick slices. If you are not using a braided bread, cut slices into four triangles each. Arrange bread slices in rows, leaning and overlapping them, if necessary.

　　

Step 2

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on high until light golden and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Beat in the cream, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Pour over the bread in the dish, lifting the bread up slightly to pour between the slices and letting the custard soak in (this is important; see The Junior's Way).

　　

Step 3

3. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, combine all praline topping ingredients, except syrup. Using your hands, spread the mixture over the top of the soaked challah, pushing some down between the slices. Cover the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.

　　

Step 4

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and drizzle the maple syrup over the top. Place the dish in the center of a larger pan. Pour hot water into the pan until it comes 1 inch up the side of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is puffy, souffléd, and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes (don't let it overbake or get too brown). Touch it: The top should be spongy, not dry or crusty. The bread pudding is best served piping hot, right out of the oven.

　　The Junior's Way

　　› Drizzle the custard very slowly over the slices of challah, giving it time to soak into the bread. You're going to think there is no way the bread can absorb all of it; be patient—it will slowly soak it all up. Lightly press the bread down into the custard as you pour. Be sure to use all of the custard!

　　› When spreading the praline topping, be sure to push it down between the slices of bread.

　　Reprinted with permission from Junior's Home Cooking: Over 100 Recipes for Classic Comfort Food by Alan Rosen & Beth Allen. Text © 2013 by Alan Rosen and Beth Allen; photographs © 2013 by Mark Ferri. Published by the Taunton Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.