Rhubarb Bread Pudding

With Memorial Day Weekend upon us, I thought I might share this new lovely recipe I happened upon while deepening my love affair with rhubarb. Behold, Rhubarb Bread Pudding:

Whether you're charged with bringing a dessert for the Saturday picnic or if you're taking it easy and finally have time to make a nice breakfast for the fam, this recipe is the way to go. I like standard bread pudding but sometimes it's too sweet for me. This with the kick of tart rhubarb???...oh my. Now that I'm thinking about it, I should mention that it's totally fair to have desserts for breakfast and breakfast for dessert. That's just how I roll.

Rhubarb Bread Pudding - Serves 6 ( or, two for 3 days)

Adapted from This Recipe at allrecipes.com (a great source for all sorts of recipes.)

The original recipe calls for regular sandwich bread with crusts removed and a lot more egg than I like in my bread pudding... I'm a fan of dense bread pudding- more creamy and doughy than eggy so I altered it to suit my needs. If you like your bread pudding more on the "pudding" side of life, you might check out the original.

Onward...

6 slices French Bread with crust on- toasted and cubed ( like, literally toasted in the toaster.)

4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon ( plus more for dusting)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8-1/4 cup walnuts

Raw sugar for sprinkling

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That's all...

Oh, and 1 cup of diced rhubarb. Don't worry baby...I didn't forget you.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit.

2. Arrange cubed pieces of bread in a buttered baking/casserole dish (about 2 qt.)

3. Combine milk and butter in a sauce pan and bring to the point just at the boiling point...like if allowed to stay one more second it will boil. Remove from heat and pour over bread. Allow to set for 15 minutes or until it is all absorbed. Your kitchen will smell really good right about now...

4. Combine eggs, rhubarb, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour over bread and top with walnuts. Mix lightly.

5. Sprinkle with raw sugar to taste and more cinnamon if you love it like I do...

6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until browned. Notice I didn't destroy it this time?

Round Two of Rhubarb baking goes to Amanda ( Oven smackdown!)

At this point you can go solo like I did, or serve it with a basic cream sauce:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup cream

(optional- 1/8 cup Jack Daniels? P-dub's idea, not mine... though, I might steal it.)

Heat all ingredients in sauce pan on low heat until boiling. The end.

Yum.

Mmmmm....I wish I had more of this. I'm fresh out of Rhubarb now! Good thing I'll be in Tulsa this weekend...