Orange Marmalade Bread Pudding

I had a jar of orange marmalade in my pantry that was calling out to be used. So after looking on this ole Internets for some inspiration, I finally decided to come up with my own bread pudding creation. And oh man...is it ever good! I love plain bread pudding but the marmalade in this gives the whole thing another wonderful flavor element. It's just divine....it really is. If you don't care for orange marmalade, you can leave it out of the pudding and the sauce and the dish will be really good...but the marmalade is to DIE for!!!!! 
 
Orange Marmalade Bread Pudding



1 3/4 cups sugar
6 large beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups cubed french bread


Topping

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter ~ softened
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Cube bread and place in a large bowl. Set aside.

Mix sugar, eggs, marmalade, vanilla, cream and milk in a medium bowl.

Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes to allow bread to soak up the liquid.

In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Serve with Vanilla Orange Marmalade Sauce (recipe follows)

*Note: You can bake this in a 9x13 inch pan as stated OR you can put small amounts in ramekins for individual servings. Also...you can drizzle the sauce all over the bread pudding before serving, or serve it on the side.

Here's what you'll need for the bread pudding.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, 

cream, marmalade and vanilla.

Cube the bread. I used 3/4 of a 

loaf of french bread. You'll need about 4 cups.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread.

Press the bread down into the liquid 

to make sure all the bread comes in 

contact with the egg mixture.

I put a piece of waxed paper on top 

of the bread then a pie plate on top 

 of the waxed paper to weight it down. 

Allow the bread to soak for about 10 minutes or so.

After the bread has soaked, pour 

it into your prepared 9x13 inch pan.

Mix up the topping ingredients. 

The butter, brown sugar and pecans.

Sprinkle that over the soaked bread.

Bake it up!!

Vanilla Orange Marmalade Sauce

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter ~ melted
1 egg, beaten
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup orange marmalade

Mix together the sugar, butter, egg, marmalade and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow to cook on low for about 5 minutes or until sugar has melted.

Serve with bread pudding.

Now for the sauce. Here's 

what you'll need for that.

Combine everything in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a soft boil and stir while 

cooking for about 5 minutes.

Ummm...yeah. So, this is pretty awesome.

When I was kid, we didn't go out to eat very often. I was raised a PK (preacher's kid..for those of you who might not know what those letters stand for) and preachers were not paid all that well. We didn't starve by any means...my mom was a good cook and could stretch a dollar like nobody's business. We just didn't have extra money to go out to eat. But, in the summertime, we would drive from Tucson, Arizona to Ventura, California to visit grandparents. Our trip started out the same almost every time. We'd get up early and drive from Tucson to Yuma. We'd stop in Yuma to gas up and get a bite to eat. And we'd ALWAYS stop at Sambo's. Who out there remembers Sambo's restaurants? My dad let my brother and me pick anything we wanted off the menu. I would ALWAYS go for the fried shrimp. Every time! I loved it so much. In fact, the first time I met IT Guy's parents we went to Big Boy's Restaurant (who remembers THOSE?) and I ordered fried shrimp. So the first time I saw coconut shrimp on a menu, I was all over that! So of course I had to try it at home. And the best part? IT Guy won't touch shrimp...so it was ALL mine!!!

Coconut Shrimp 

with Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce

12 ounces large or jumbo shrimp ~ peeled and deviened

1 cup flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup coconut

salt and pepper to taste

Pour about 1 - 2 cups of oil into a skillet and heat to medium heat.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs.

In a pie pan, combine the panko and coconut.

In another pie pan, combine the flour, salt and pepper.

Dredge shrimp in flour.

Dip in the eggs.

Then coat with panko mixture, making sure to press mixture onto shrimp so that it sticks.

Place coated shrimp into hot oil and fry for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup Orange Marmalade

2 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)

In a microwave safe bowl, combine marmalade and chili sauce. Heat for a minute or so until hot. Allow to cool a couple of minutes before serving with coconut shrimp.

Okay...let's get going. 

I only show 1 egg here. I used two.

 

Place the seasoned flour, the eggs, 

and the coconut/panko in individual bowls.

 

Dip the shrimp first in the flour, 

then the eggs, then the panko mixture.

 

Then fry 'em.

 

Flip them over. A couple of minutes on each side. 

Shrimp don't take long to cook.

 

Combine the marmalade and the chili sauce. 

Heat in the microwave until warm.

 

Here you go...better than any restaurant!!