Indian Bread Pudding with Cardamom Sauce

Source: Cooking Light, November 2002

The exotic flavors of rose-flower water and cardamon are typical in Indian and Middle Eastern desserts. The bread cooks in a mixture of milk and sugar, but without eggs--so it's not as creamy as a typical bread pudding. Instead, it's topped with a rich custard sauce.

Pudding:
9 (1-ounce) slices white bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon rose-flower water (optional)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten1 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon finely chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare pudding, trim crusts from bread. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; brush with melted butter. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until toasted.

Remove bread from oven; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Cut each slice into 4 squares. Arrange squares in overlapping rows in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine evaporated milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and rose-flower water, if desired, stirring well with a whisk. Pour mixture evenly over bread. Cover with foil; chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake pudding, covered, at 350° for 15 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Heat whole milk in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot whole milk to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Place milk mixture in pan; cook over low heat 6 minutes or until mixture coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in cardamom.
Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 5 minutes or until sauce cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Arrange 6 warm bread pudding squares on each of 6 dessert plates. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce and 1/2 teaspoon pistachios. Yield: 6 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 272(29% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 3.8g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 9g; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 191mg; SODIUM 352mg; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.9g

I talked about this recipe HERE.