Bread Pudding Club: Cinnamon-Tangerine Bread Pudding

At the age of 15, I was sent off to boarding school. There was nothing particularly wrong with the food at boarding school, but there was no choice of menu and you were forced to eat whatever was served up. We never ate bread and butter pudding at home but at that school, we had it for lunch nearly every week. Since it was quite novel to me, I grew to love this British dish instead of hating it just because we had it so often at school (if you saw how they served it at the cafeteria, you would wonder why... its presentation in the large buffet trays was downright dog ugly!). Now anytime I come across bread pudding, it takes me right back to my boarding school days. Oh the joy!

When my friend Victoria of Mission Food mentioned that she was starting a Bread Pudding of the Month Club, I was immediately inspired by the vision of presenting this humble, homely dish as something a bit more exciting flavor-wise that I... gatecrashed her party. Ok, she did kindly invite me to join her in posting this bread pudding recipe (after I asked her). So, many thanks Victoria, for this fun opportunity and for your generosity of spirit.

Just about every culture that makes bread has its own version of bread pudding. The breads of Asia, though are quite different to European types of bread as many are unleavened. There are some which use yeast, yet are not baked in large, light loaves which lend themselves to slicing. They are somewhat flat compared to Western bread, but have very special flavors. Asian breads are not usually baked in an oven, since ovens are not normally a feature of the average Asian kitchen. Instead, they are griddle-baked, shallow fried or deep fried. In the case of Chinese breads, they are steamed in bamboo steamers or any other kind of steamer available. Most Asian breads are found in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) and other countries where the Indian influence is strong.

Hailing from neither China nor South Asia, bread was never a traditional staple for my family. You will understand when I say that I've only ever made bread pudding at home twice in my life. This was to be my third time, so I decided to take things easy. Easy on flavors, I mean. This time of year coincides with Chinese/Lunar New Year and as usual we are inundated with oranges, tangerines, satsumas, kumquats, etc. What better way to incorporate the abundant citrusy flavor than in a bread pudding, hey?

I used tiny-sized tangerines as they're seedless and the segments could be tucked nicely in between the bread slices. Cinnamon pairs well with the sweet, tangy taste of the tangerine, which pops in your mouth as you take a bite of the pudding. Orange-flavored caramel sauce poured over the cooked pudding and a dollop of whipped cream completed the dish. It was pretty good for my third ever experience baking bread pudding, and I can't wait for the next time! 

Victoria has created a special, tropically-inspired bread pudding today. If you want a whiff of her wondrous Piña Colada Bread Pudding below, you should head out to her site now!

Cinnamon-Tangerine Bread Pudding

Serves: 6
Ingredients:
8 slices stale bread
50g cold butter
1 litre milk
1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon cinnamon
4-5 cloves
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tangerines, peeled

Orange Caramel Sauce

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice or regular orange juice

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Method:

1. Remove the crust from the bread and slice each bread diagonally into 4 triangles. Chop the crust into small chunks and set aside.

2. Butter a shallow baking dish (1-2 inch deep) and leave the rest of the butter for later.

3. Arrange the bread slices along the base of the tart dish, leaning against each other in one layer. Fill the gaps along the outer edges with the chopped crust.

4. Slice/shave the cold butter on top of the bread slices.

5. Separate the tangerines into individual segments, peeling away using your fingers. Slide in 1-2 tangerines into the spaces between/behind the rectangular bread slices.

6. Place the milk, cinnamon and cloves in a pan and heat until just starting to boil, stirring constantly to prevent the milk from burning. Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the egg mixture.

7. Whisk eggs and sugar in a small bowl, then add a cup of the warm milk and beat further. Pour this mixture back into the pan with the rest of the milk and stir until it just starts to simmer. Strain the mixture into another bowl to remove the spices and any foam.

8. Carefully spoon the custard onto the bread slices until they are completely soaked and the custard reaches to just below the rim of the tart dish.

9. Bake at 175C for 40 minutes. The pudding will expand in the oven, but will settle down once cooled.

10. For the orange-caramel sauce, bring orange juice to a simmer over medium-high heat in a saucepan for about 5 minutes to reduce. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, add cream, and set aside. In another saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and continue to cook, stirring frequently until sugar is lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add the orange juice mixture, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes and strain through a fine sieve.

11. Serve the pudding warm, drizzle with orange-flavored caramel, top with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar.