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Pear Walnut Bread Pudding for #SundaySupper

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Pear Walnut Bread Pudding | Magnolia Days

The world would not be the same without storytellers and writers. Those who have the gift of taking the most mundane thing, for example going to the mailbox to get the mail, and turning it into a captivating story gives me great envy. They can articulate a breeze blowing, the crunch of grass underfoot, or a bird sitting on the mailbox in a way which draws you in and makes you want more. This is yet another thing I struggle with in the world of being a blogger: how to put into words everything about a Pear Walnut Bread Pudding or whatever I am sharing in any post.

Some stories come easier than others. Writer’s block is a very real thing. There are days I only want to write “it’s a great recipe so just make it” and yet I know it simply will not suffice. Why it is a great recipe is the first thing that comes to mind. Someone may want to know such information. There are personal back stories to start with, like how I have never cared for mushy, cooked fruit. The pears in this bread pudding stayed firm after baking and that made it stand out to me.

Pear Walnut Bread Pudding | Magnolia Days

The vanilla sauce added another reason this bread pudding stood above the rest. Don’t put it past me to shove a few spoonfuls of it in my face for no apparent reason. It all goes back to my family’s recipe for Apple Strudel. Vanilla sauce in Germany is ridiculously good for whatever reason. Having that dessert after German potato soup is an experience everyone should have at some point in time in their life.

Pear Walnut Bread Pudding | Magnolia Days

So what about the pear walnut bread pudding? It has softness from milk and cream soaked bread, chewiness of golden raisins, firmness of fresh pears, crunchiness from walnuts, plus earthiness of cinnamon and nutmeg. The crowning part is the comforting vanilla sauce. The photo is no indication of how I may or may not have drowned my portion in it.

Pear Walnut Bread Pudding | Magnolia Days

Pears are a fabulous fall food. Scroll down to find more recipes featuring the bounty of autumn. Sunday Supper contributors have really outdone themselves celebrating the season. There a many great writers and storytellers in the bunch so be sure to check out each and every one in the list. I’m quite sure you will find several recipes to add to your to-cook list. Special thanks to Coleen of The Redhead Baker and Connie of The Foodie Army Wife for co-hosting this event. And be sure to let me know which fall produce is your favorite. It may inspire me to try something new for the season.

Pear Walnut Bread Pudding | Magnolia Days
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Pear Walnut Bread Pudding

A recipe for Pear Walnut Bread Pudding made with fresh pears. It is a wonderful fall dessert when pears are in season. Serve warm with vanilla sauce.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Author Renee

Ingredients

For the bread pudding:

  • 4 cups 1-inch cubes day-old white bread
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated or ground nutmeg.
  • 1 to 2 pears enough for 1 cup peeled and diced

For the vanilla sauce:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For the bread pudding:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
  2. Combine bread cubes, walnuts, and raisins in a large bowl. Pour melted butter on top and stir to coat.
  3. Whisk together milk, cream, honey, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Pour over bread cubes and stir to combine.
  4. Peel, core, and dice pears to get 1 cup of diced pears. Reserve any remaining pear pieces to enjoy separately.
  5. Add the 1 cup of pears to the bread mixture and stir to combine. Transfer bread mixture to the casserole dish.
  6. Bake until center of bread pudding is set, about 1 hour. Serve warm with vanilla sauce.

For the vanilla sauce:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. Add eggs and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Whisk in half-and-half and cream. Transfer mixture to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to thicken and just before it reaches a simmer. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the vanilla and pour the mixture into a bowl. Press plastic wrap to the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming if not serving immediately. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  2. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in hot milk, 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency.

Recipe Notes

A recipe for Pear Walnut Bread Pudding made with fresh pears. It is a wonderful fall dessert when pears are in season. Serve warm with vanilla sauce.

Are you looking fabulous fall food recipes? Take a look at these by Sunday Supper contributors:

Appetizers and Drinks

Soups, Stews, Chili, and Casserole

Salads and Side Dishes

Main Dishes

Desserts and Baked Goods

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

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Comments

  1. You articulated the perfection your pear walnut pudding perfectly, Renee. Quite a feat indeed to have firm pears after a stint in the oven…Your vanilla sauce with its German history has me intrigued, too!

    Reply

  3. This recipe looks beyond delicious! I love bread pudding, but with pears and walnuts this goes up to a whole new level of wonderful for me. This bread pudding deserves a story…thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  4. Renee, that Pear Walnut Bread Pudding looks amazing! I love anything with pear, and this says Autumn to me! The vanilla sauce is a bonus! I think that I will serve this at my next brunch! Thank you!
    Susan

    Reply

  5. What a great bread pudding, Renee! The pears and walnuts make this so special but the vanilla sauce puts it over the top. Simon would put either vanilla sauce or cream on every dessert and bread pudding is one of his favorites. Pinning this on my Recipes to Try board!

    Reply

  7. I have never yet strayed from my grandmother’s traditional and simple bread pudding recipe, eschewing every other version for hers. But this, with the autumnal flavors, the pear, the honey and the cream – I think I may just have to give it a go! It looks so good!

    Reply

  12. Whoa, as a huge fan of pears, this looks like one spectacular dessert. And I could drizzle your vanilla sauce over so many desserts…and I think a few spoonfuls would make their way directly into my mouth!

    Reply

  13. Renee, this looks amaaazing! I’m not a big dessert person, but I have a weakness for bread pudding. This one – with the pears, walnuts and vanilla sauce – sounds divine! Just the thought of vanilla sauce alone – I love vanilla!

    Reply

  15. I’ve got some serious cravings this morning, thanks to your inviting post!! I would love a sample of your bread pudding (that vanilla sauce-oh my!!) and a piece of apple strudel (one of my German favorites!) I can completely relate to your sentiment here, it’s hard putting our dishes into words some days. It seems that my writer’s block gets worse every time I have a deadline to make! Great post Renee!

    Reply

  18. Hi there! I found you today from a tweet by Choclette of the Chocolate Log Blog. (I like her “We Should Cocoa” event!)

    Although I’m not a huge fan of raw pears, if you put them in a baked good I’ll probably eat the whole thing. Doubly true if they’re covered in vanilla sauce.

    My mom is Southern, but her recipe repertoire tends toward the savory rather than the sweet. I’m looking forward to reading your blog; maybe I can pick up a few sweet recipes to add to my collection. Plus, #sundaysupper sounds like fun!

    And do stop by The Perfect Brownie some time! 🙂

    Reply

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