Rhubarb Orange-Rosemary Croissant Pudding

This dreamy, lighter-than-light bread pudding layers toasted croissants, orange marmalade, fresh rosemary, and macerated rhubarb.

Have you ever found yourself on the opposite side of a food craze that everyone else seems to LOVE?

And you play along, pretending that said food item doesn’t perplex you every time you spot it on a menu?

But then, periodically, just to make sure your palate hasn’t played a number on you, you order it at one of your favorite restaurants, hoping to see THE LIGHT?

Then one miraculous day, at a little cafe in the boonies, the owner cajoles you into ordering HER version, and WHAMO, your mind changes.

That’s what happened to me, with my former nemesis, bread pudding. Every bread pudding that I experienced previously was dense, leaden, and drearily monotonous. Not this one.

The version that blew my mind was lighter than light, ribboned with tangy rhubarb compote, and crowned with a beautifully toasted, crunchy top. In other worlds, heavenly.

That little cafe disappeared shortly after my bread pudding epiphany, but the memory remains vivid even many years later.

So recently, fueled by the muse (2 shots of espresso) and a fridge full of local rhubarb, I set out to recreate that long ago taste experience. And here it is.

Rhubarb Orange-Rosemary Croissant Pudding

This dreamy, lighter-than-light bread pudding layers toasted croissants, orange marmalade, fresh rosemary, and macerated rhubarb.

Ingredient Note   The green rhubarb you see here is Victoria rhubarb. It’s available at Portland Farmers Market. You may find it in your local farmers markets as well.

Ramekins
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons sugar

Rhubarb
1 cup (4 ounces) trimmed, ½-inch diced rhubarb
3 tablespoons superfine sugar
finely grated zest of 1 small orange
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange flavored liqueur (or orange juice)

Croissants
3 croissants
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon premium quality orange marmalade, warmed in the microwave

Custard
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup superfine sugar (regular sugar works too)

2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla  

Embellishments
powdered sugar in a sieve or shaker
lightly sweetened crème fraîche or sour cream

1. To prepare oven and ramekins, set one rack at the top of the oven and another in the middle of the oven. Heat the broiler.
2. Brush two oven-proof ceramic or cast iron ramekins with melted butter, and coat each with 1 teaspoon sugar. Set on an edged baking sheet. Reserve.
3. To prepare rhubarb, in a medium mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, sugar, rosemary, and Grand Marnier. Let macerate for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. To prepare croissants, with a serrated bread knife, slice the croissants in half lengthwise.
5. Turn the cut sides up and place croissants on an edged baking sheet. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until lightly toasted on the surface.
6. Remove from the oven, adjust oven temperature to 350ºF., and brush cut surfaces with melted butter and marmalade.
7. When cool, tear croissants into rough pieces and divide between the two ramekins.
8. Divide macerated rhubarb and juice between the two ramekins.
9. To prepare custard, in a 1-cup glass measuring cup with pouring spout, whisk eggs and egg yolk.
10. In a 4-cup glass measuring cup with pouring spout, combine cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Heat in the microwave just until liquid starts to steam. Do not bring to a full simmer.
11. Slowly a little of the hot cream mixture onto the eggs, whisking all the while. Repeat twice to temper (warm without curdling) the eggs.
12. Pour the tempered egg mixture into the remaining cream mixture and whisk to combine.
13. To bake, pour custard into ramekins, let sit 5-10 minutes to allow the bread to absorb some of the liquid, and then bake for 20-25 minutes, until custard is just set.
14. To serve, dust with powdered sugar and pass a small bowl of lightly sweetened crème fraiche or sour cream.

Serves 2.

Copyright 2015 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.