Pecan Pie Bread Pudding
This rich and custardy dessert tastes like a cross between pecan pie and bread pudding. And if that wasn’t decadent enough, we added a homemade praline sauce to top it all off. Day-old French bread is the best choice for this bread pudding. Allow the bread to sit for an hour in the custard mixture before baking to make sure that the bread cubes completely soak up the custard. It will seem like a lot of liquid when you initially begin adding the custard mixture it to the bread, but the bread will act like a sponge and absorb everything in an hour. Don’t worry if the top is uneven—when it bakes, it will be extra crunchy. Serve the bread pudding warm (if you’re making it ahead, it reheats well in the oven), topped with warm praline sauce and scoops of vanilla ice cream. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, our Test Kitchen recommends eating it for breakfast with coffee.