6 to 8 pieces of bread. Stale bread is probably the best.
2 cups of milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dried fruit--I used cranberries, raisins or dried apples would work well
1/4 cup brown sugar
--1/4 cup raw sugar (optional; to add at the end to brulee only if desired)
The Directions.
Use a 2-quart slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray.
If you don't have a little crockpot, you can insert a heat-resistant dish into your regular 6-quart crockpot.
I suggest adding a cup of water to surround the dish to create a bit of steam and keep the bread from drying out.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
Tear up the bread slices and push down into the liquid mixture and fold in the dried fruit.
(a note about using fresh fruit: YES, you can. But it will be "juicier" and I'd suggest only using 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of milk -- apples won't be as juicy as peaches, etc.
Use your best judgement.)
Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-5.
The cooking time will greatly depend on what size crockpot you use and cooking vessel size.
I didn't prop open the lid; it was completely closed.
The pudding will be done when the top is browned and you can push on the top pieces of bread without too much liquid squirting out.
This took 3 1/2 hours in my mini crockpot.
If you are going to cook this overnight, then I'd highly recommend using a programmable slow cooker and setting it for 4 hours on low -- and going to bed sort of late -- in the 11ish hour rather than the 8 o'clock hour!
Your programmable pot will flip over to the warm setting until you wake up for the day.
I thought this "needed something"--so I decided to bruleeicize the top by sprinkling a 1/4 cup of raw sugar on the top and broiling for a few minutes.
The Verdict.
This is a great way to use up all the end pieces of loaves of bread. Save them in the freezer until you have enough to make a batch.
Since we are gluten free, I use gluten free bread -- any variety will work and you can certainly use almond, soy, coconut milk, etc.
enjoy!!
happy slow cooking!!
steph
