This bread pudding, unlike any other I’ve encountered, is somewhere between cake and flan. Chef Brooke Siem travelled through nine countries seeking out grandmothers willing to share their stories, kitchens and recipes for her grandmother project. In Argentina she met Sofy who shared this recipe.
Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350°F) and put the kettle on for the water bath. In a 32cm (9″) metal cake tin spread ¾ of a cup of sugar and place it directly over a medium hot burner on the stovetop. Hold it with tongs and rotate as the sugar melts. When the sugar has melted and is light golden brown, remove from the heat and set aside while you make the batter. In a blender combine 3 large eggs, 1½ cups of milk, 1 cup of reduced fat sour cream, 6 cups of cubed soft white sandwich bread, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and ½ a cup of sugar. Blend until smooth then pour the batter over the caramel and cover the pan with foil. Place the pan in a larger baking pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cake tin. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour or until the pudding is springy to the touch. Remove the pudding from the water bath, uncover and immediately run a knife around the edge. Invert the pudding onto a serving plate and spoon any remaining caramel over the top. Let cool for at least 10 minutes to serve warm or allow to cool longer and serve at room temperature.
michelle picker cooks 