Pineapple Bread Pudding

1 cup raisins
1 cup dark rum

Syrup:
2 cups white wine
2 cups sugar
1 tsp crushed red chili peppers
4 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cardamom seeds
8 cloves
2 vanilla beans, split
1 pineapple

 Custard:
10 cups bread, cut in 1-inch cubes
(use french baguette, ciabatta, or country peasant bread)
5 tbsp butter
1 cup sugar
1 qt milk
2 cups heavy cream
6 eggs
6 eggyolks
1 vanilla bean, split
2 cinnamon sticks

  1. Soak raisins in the rum overnight. Strain the raisins just before making the pudding.

  2. Vanilla-pineapple syrup: Peel and slice pineapple diagonally removing the eyes. Cut into half horizontally. Slice one half of the pineapple thinly and reserve for topping. Boil and simmer the white wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, chilies, cardamom, cloves and 2 vanilla beans. Dice the other half of the pineapple and add to the syrup. Cook for 10 minutes. Strain the pineapple and remove all the spices. Set the syrup aside for glazing and use as a sauce for the pudding.

  3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter two linzer torte pans or an equivalent gratin dish or 9” tart pan. Linzer torte pans have removable bottoms, so wrap the bottom & sides with foil to prevent leakage.

  4. Custard: Melt the butter in a large pot and lightly brown the bread. Set aside in a big mixing bowl. Scald the milk, heavy cream and sugar with 1 vanilla bean and 2 cinnamon sticks. Beat the eggs and eggyolks together. Pour the hot milk and heavy cream into the eggs. Pour this mixture over the bread and let it soak until liquid is absorbed. Add raisins and pineapple into bread mixture. Fill the pans or gratin dish with the bread mixture . Arrange pineapple slices on top and glaze with pineapple syrup. Bake for 30 minutes for torte pans and 45 min for gratin dish.
    Serve with vanilla or chocolate ice cream and vanilla-pineapple syrup.

NOTES :
Breads used from Sullivan Bakery – Pullman bread, ciabatta, filone (sourdough)
Check out liquids as opposed to the bread – whether the bread needs a lot of moisture or not. The bread should be soaked through plus a bit more liquid. If the bread needs more liquid than what the recipe calls for, just add more milk or milk mixed with heavy cream.
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