Aaaargh! It's eat like a pirate day!
Today is “Talk Like A Pirate Day”. I’ve never been particularly good at saying “Aaaaargh,” but my sweetie and I love to sail out little ship River Rat on the lake. We belong to sailing club that is planning to celebrate this evening with a mock takeover of the historic downtown district, armed with squirt guns.There’s nothing a pirate likes more than rum. The distilled drink, made from molasses and sugarcane juice, is made widely in the Caribbean on the islands often visited by pirates. Generally, rum made in Spanish speaking islands is light colored. English speaking islanders are known for the darker, fuller tasting rums, and the French speaking islands make a rum entirely from sugar cane juices. And pirates, legend has it, liked to drink all of them.
But rum is not just for drinking, you know. It makes a great sauce for bread pudding.
Give it a try, maties! Aaaargh!
Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
For the pudding
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups stale Italian bread, cubed
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
For the sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (the real thing has to be used here), melted
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup rum
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9 pan.
- Mix together sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, mix brown sugar and butter.
- Pour bread mixture into a prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: Mix the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the rum, stirring well.
- Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.
