Bourbon Bread Pudding

"Cognac" Bread Pudding

With the exception of an occasional half glass of wine with dinner, I only use alcohol in cooking.  We keep a collection of bottles--madeira, marsala, rum, etc., etc.   This week's Tuesday with Dorie delight is Bourbon Bread Pudding and as I've made it before, I assumed that I had some bourbon in the cupboard.

I made bread ahead of time, cut it up to stale it, started whisking the eggs and sugar, started to heat the milk and cream and then. . . reached for the bourbon.   None!  And I'm so unfamiliar with various alcoholic beverages that I had no idea what to use as a substitute.  I called my husband and his suggestion was cognac!  (Which we had on hand to make M. Jacque' Armagnac Chicken from Around My French Table).

The result was fantastic!  One of our guests exclaimed "I'm in heaven!"  A definite success.


P.S.  I had the luxury of spending most of the day in the kitchen yesterday:  made yogurt, made croutons from stale bread, made two loaves of French Bread, made the Cognac Bread Pudding, Made Dorie's Cocoa Almond Meringues,  helped my husband make Dorie's Provencal Vegetable Soup, and made pesto to garnish the soup.  Happily, our 20 "Soup Night" guests loved everything--a happy day!

In the midst of all the cooking. . . .