This is not your grandmother’s bread pudding infused with bourbon inside and out, made with bourbon soaked raisins, and topped with an simple bourbon brown sugar glaze.
Note: If you don't want to stale the bread on the smoker, you can simply cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and let it stale on the counter for a day or two. (This will give you less smoked flavor in the bread pudding though.)
Prepare the Bread:
Preheat smoker to 200°. Cut the bread into small, 1-inch cubes and spread them in a large grilling topper tray. It’s best if the bread is in one even layer.
Place the bread onto the smoker and let it harden for about 1.5-2 hours and take it out.
Prepare the Bread Pudding:
Place raisins in a small bowl and add the 1/2 cup of bourbon. Let the raisins soak for about 15 minutes.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish and spread the stale bread in it. Raise the smoker temperature to 325°.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of bourbon that raisins were soaking in.
Whisk it all together and pour over the bread in the baking dish. Press on the bread gently to help it absorb the eggs mixture.
Take raisins out of the bourbon and save the remaining bourbon for the sauce. Spread the raisins evenly throughout the top of the bread pudding and pop it onto the smoker.
Cook bread pudding on the smoker for 50-60 minutes.*
Bourbon Brown Sugar Sauce:
In a small sauce pot, start melting butter. Whisk in brown sugar, cinnamon, and heavy whipping cream. Bring to a low boil over medium heat and lower the heat to about medium low.
Let it simmer, while slowly whisking, for 5-8 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Add bourbon and simmer a couple more minutes.
Pour some of the sauce over the top of the hot bread pudding and save the rest for the individual portions if people want more.
Notes
*How To Tell If Bread Pudding Is Done: One way to tell is to touch the middle of the pudding and see how wiggly it is. If the middle hasn’t baked through yet, it will be quite wiggly and soft and it even might feel a little squishy. Bread pudding should starts to feel firm in the center and yield when you gently press into it. You can also check the internal temperature in the center of bread pudding and aim for 170°F-175°F.Storing: store bread pudding in the same dish you baked it in just make sure to cover it air-tight with plastic wrap or use a baking dish that comes with a lid. Store it for 3-4 days in the refrigerator!To reheat: simply cut off a slice and microwave just until heated through.