Malasada Bread Pudding

What better use could there be for leftover malasadas than making another delicious dessert? Wanda Adams does just that with a bread pudding recipe in “A Portuguese Kitchen” (Mutual Publishing), now out of print.

• 6 cups stale malasadas, torn or chopped
• Softened butter for baking dish
• 3 cups nonfat half-and-half or whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons Portuguese 5-spice or pumpkin pie spice

Place malasadas in large buttered casserole or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pieces should be smallish, not big chunks.

In bowl, blend half-and-half, eggs, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and spices. Pour over malasadas, covering evenly. Press bread under liquid. (If mixture seems dry, stir in 1/2 cup additional half-and-half or milk.) Let stand 30 minutes or more. (At this point you can stop, cover and refrigerate overnight.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place casserole or baking pan in another pan (oven roasting pan works well) and fill that pan with hot water until it comes halfway up sides of bread pudding dish. Bake 60 to 65 minutes, until bread pudding is set and not soupy. Serves 8 to 10.

Nutritional information unavailable.