She Strengthens

Peachy Keen Bread Pudding with a Twist

When it comes to baking with fresh peaches, most people reach for traditional recipes like peach crisp or cobbler. But why not try something new and exciting? Introduce your taste buds to a peach schnapps-soaked bread pudding, packed with dulce de leche and roasted peaches. And as a bonus, use the leftover schnapps to whip up a refreshing Sex on the Beach cocktail!

Game-Changing Tips

Before you start, keep in mind that you can skip squeezing the bread if you’re planning to let it soak for more than 3 hours. Also, make sure your baking dish is at least 2 inches deep, as the custard will expand while baking.

Easy as 1-2-3

This recipe yields 10-12 servings and is classified as easy. You’ll need to set aside about 1 hour for preparation, plus 1-4 hours for soaking and 2 1/2 hours for baking and cooling.

Gather Your Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup peach schnapps
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 (1-pound) loaf challah or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 9 cups)
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds peaches or nectarines (about 5 medium)
• Butter, for coating the baking dish
• 1 cup dulce de leche

Let’s Get Started!

Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, schnapps, and salt in a large bowl until the eggs are broken up and the mixture is evenly combined. Add the bread and mix well with your hands, gently squeezing the bread (but remember the game-changing tip above!). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Roasting the Peaches

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Halve, pit, and slice the peaches or nectarines into sixths. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until soft and slightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on the baking sheet on a wire rack. If you’re not using the roasted peaches right away, refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake the bread pudding.

Assembling the Pudding

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and arrange one rack in the middle and one in the lower third. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the lower rack (it will catch any drips from the bread pudding while baking). Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Remove the bread mixture from the refrigerator, add the roasted peaches, and mix until the peaches are evenly distributed. Pour the bread-peach mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of the dulce de leche evenly over the bread mixture, pushing on them to slightly submerge.

Baking and Serving

Cover the pudding with foil and bake on the middle rack until the custard around the outer 2 inches is set but the center is still slightly jiggly, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the surface is browned in some spots, about 30 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!