🥐 Pradeep’s Ultimate Croissant Bread Pudding

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🥐 Pradeep’s Ultimate Croissant Bread Pudding

Buttery, custardy croissant pudding with a crisp top and rich apricot glaze—perfect for brunch or dessert.

🛒 Ingredients

Pastry

  • 6–8 day-old croissants, torn into 1″ pieces (to absorb custard better & avoid sogginess) 

Custard Base

  • 1 qt heavy cream
  • 1 qt milk
  • 1 vanilla bean (split & seeds scraped) or 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 16 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • Optional: 1 Tbsp citrus zest (lemon/orange) to brighten 3

Glaze

  • 1 cup apricot preserves + 2 Tbsp warm water

👩‍🍳 Directions (Starts to Finish)

1️⃣ Preheat & Prep Croissants

  • Preheat oven to 300 °F. Spread croissant pieces on a sheet tray and bake 5–10 minutes until lightly toasted ([turn0search0])—this prevents soggy texture.

2️⃣ Whisk & Warm Custard

  • In a saucepan, heat cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla (or zest) until just simmering. This step ensures better custard absorption 

3️⃣ Temper Eggs

  • Slowly whisk warm custard into beaten eggs to avoid curdling, then strain mixture through a sieve for extra smoothness 

4️⃣ Soak Thoroughly

  • Butter a 9″×9″ pan. Add croissants and pour custard over. Press down with spatula. Let soak 1–12 hours in fridge (overnight is best) 

5️⃣ Water-Bath Bake

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place pudding pan in a larger pan; add hot water halfway up sides. Cover loosely with foil.

  • Bake 45 minutes covered, then uncover and bake another 15 minutes until golden and set (toothpick should come out nearly clean) 

6️⃣ Glaze & Rest

  • As soon as it comes out, brush generously with warmed apricot glaze. Let cool for 10 minutes for perfect slicing and rich flavor melding.

👨‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

  • Start with day-old croissants—they absorb custard without collapsing 

  • Light toast before soaking helps maintain shape and texture 

  • Warm custard before tempering results in better soaking and smoother texture

  • Soak in advance (up to overnight) prevents dry pockets and creates even custard distribution 

  • Water bath ensures creamy texture, prevents cracking and overbake

  • Bake covered, then uncovered—this yields a moist center and crisp top

  • Strain custard for silky smooth consistency .

  • Optional citrus zest brightens richness beautifully


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