Challah Bread Pudding With Carrot Creme Anglaise Recipe

Make the bread pudding Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the butter all over the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan.

Whisk together the cream and egg yolks, then whisk in the sugar, almond paste, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, whisking until the sugar and almond paste dissolve.

Place the bread cubes in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the cranberries evenly on top. Pour the cream mixture over the bread, making sure each cube is moistened. Soak at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Set the pan in a larger pan in the oven and pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come half way up the sides of the bread pan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean (about 50 to 60 minutes). The center should jiggle just a little.

Cool slightly and serve with the Carrot Crème Anglaise, or cool completely and refrigerate. Warm before serving.

Make the creme Anglaise Bring the carrot juice to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce until only 1/3 cup is left, about 30 minutes. The mixture will smell like it's starting to caramelize and will create a lot of foam. Cool to room temperature.

Bring the cream, cardamom, and vanilla just to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and reduced carrot juice until smooth. Slowly drizzle a little of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking.

Stir the warmed eggs back into the remaining hot cream mixture. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. If you run your finger across the back of the spoon, the path your finger creates should stay clean. If the sauce runs through the path, it is not thick enough and needs to cook a little longer. Do not allow to boil. The sauce should be reduced by 1/3 and the foam removed from the top.

Remove from heat and cool.

Strain the sauce into a bowl, then set that bowl in a larger bowl of ice water to chill, stirring occasionally while cooling. The sauce may be made 1 day in advance. Refrigerate in a covered container. The sauce is a great accompaniment to a warm rice pudding or even a slice of yellow pound cake, but it is best over the Challah Bread Pudding.