Orange, Almond & Cranberry Bread Pudding with Spiced Orange Sauce

Orange, Almond & Cranberry Bread Pudding with Spiced Orange Sauce

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we wanted to share one of our favorite dessert recipes that is so easy to make and will easily feed a crowd. Whether you are hosting or attending a Thanksgiving get-together this is the perfect dish to make since it can be prepped and baked ahead of time and easily rewarmed.

With citrus coming into season during the Fall and Winter orange is one of our favorite ingredients because it's so versatile and has a unique flavor that can be paired with lots of different ingredients and is one of the many flavors that signal the beginning of the holiday season.

Some of the best chefs will tell you that starting the freshest with the purest flavors is always key in their cooking, and this is why we love using fresh-squeezed orange juice in this recipe; it's free of any preservatives or added sugar, and it's so fresh, bright & full of flavor.

Using your Vinci Hands-Free Citrus Juicer is the perfect way to easily get all the juices out of your oranges with minimal effort for all your orange-based holiday recipes.

We pair the sweet and tangy flavors with tart cranberries and crunchy almonds for this delicious holiday bread pudding.

Orange, Almond & Cranberry Bread Pudding with Spiced Orange Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 eggs, beaten
• 1 ¼ cups whipping cream
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ¼ cups orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 12 cups cubed Challah bread
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup dried cranberries

Spiced Orange Sauce

• 4 cups orange Juice
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Make the pudding: In a large bowl, combine the eggs and whipping cream; whisk until well blended. Whisk in sugar and cinnamon. Stir in orange juice, orange zest, and almond extract. Add bread cubes; let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in almonds and cranberries.
3. Transfer mixture to a buttered 3-quart rectangular baking dish; use a spatula to get all the mixture in the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center portion comes out clean. Let stand for 20-30 minutes before serving.
4. Make sauce while the pudding is baking. In a large saucepan, combine orange juice, allspice, and sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and boil gently, uncovered, until reduced to 1 cup (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. Whisk in whipping cream; bring heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cream is reduced and sauce slightly thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated. Serve warm bread pudding with warm sauce.