Banana Rum Sauce + Giveaway

Last month, I did a book review on Baking Basics and Beyond by Pat Sinclair. One of the recipes I tried was the New Orleans Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce. Although the pudding was very basic, the sauce was amazing. This is my first time flambeing, and I promise it's easy and worth it! You get the taste of rum without the alcohol.





I used leftover homemade bread that I made for Tuesdays With Dorie for the pudding.

As for the sauce, this was my first time ever setting alcohol on fire, so I was terrified. I expressed my concern on Twitter, and Erin of Erin's Food Files assured me with her video that the flame really is not that big. I guess I watch too much food tv! Of course I was still nervous, so I had my pan lid just in case. I kept the bread pudding recipe the same, but I cut the sauce recipe in half since I wasn't sure how well the rum would go over with my family. Next time, I'll make the whole quantity of sauce. Even if I have some leftover, it was delicious!




Do you want to win a copy of Pat's book? Agate Publishing is giving away a copy to one of you! All you have to do is visit Agate Publishing's Facebook page and leave a comment on their giveaway post. They have a post on their wall that says "leave a comment and enter to win," so make sure you comment on that post and not randomly on the page. They are running the giveaway until tomorrow.


New Orleans Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce

Bread Pudding
6 cups of bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups milk
Nutmeg to taste, optional

Banana Rum Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2-3 bananas, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup dark rum (I use Myer's Jamaican Rum)

Lightly grease a 9x9 pan. Place bread cubes evenly in the pan. In a medium bowl, beat together sugar, vanilla, and eggs until well blended. Slowly beat in milk. Pour over the bread; let sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 45-55 minutes or until set in the center and a knife comes out clean (but it will be wet). Cool while you make the sauce.

Warm the rum in a small saucepan; have the pan's lid nearby. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet. Add sugar and lemon juice; cook until sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened. Add bananas and heat until warm. With a long match or a gas lighter, ignite the rum. Let the flame die down on its own before adding it to the banana mixture. If the flame gets out of hand, cover it with the lid and remove from the heat.

Cut the pudding into squares and serve with warm rum sauce.

Makes 9-12 servings
Source: Baking Basics and Beyond by Pat Sinclair