Bread Pudding Made With Udi's Cinnamon Rolls

I saw a recipe for "Udilicious Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Sauce" and thought this would make the perfect decadent dessert for our Christmas Eve celebration. I always make vegetarian, gluten free lasagna on Christmas Eve but vary the dessert from year to year.

I have to admit, I was very skeptical about making this dessert. First of all, I wasn't going to make a test batch before Christmas. That would be too much work and too much money because the recipe calls for two package of Udi's gluten free cinnamon rolls and a real vanilla bean. Second, we didn't need to eat an entire batch just a week or two before the holiday. Finally, as we all know, gluten free products and recipes can be risky. This could turn out to be something my gluten eaters wouldn't enjoy. So, I told my guests that I was experimenting with dessert and if it didn't turn out, we would instead eat chocolate.

Well, the dessert did turn out. It turned out so well in fact that everyone at the table took some home with them to eat later. One guest even e-mailed me to confess that she ate hers later that same night.

It is a little time consuming because there are several steps AND you MUST let the cinnamon rolls sit and soak up the custard before baking. I prepared mine 4 or 5 hours before it needed to bake. I wish I had made it the night before and let it soak for a day. But this recipe is totally worth the time, effort and money! Try it, you will love it.

Udilicious Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Sauce
(note: I tweaked this based on my cooking experience with this recipe.)
Chef: Johnna Perry

Bread Pudding Ingredients:

* Two packages Udi’s Cinnamon Rolls, frosted with enclosed frosting
* 1/3 cup raisins
* 1/3 cup chopped pecans (dry roasted, unsalted if available)
* 1 quart milk
* 6 eggs
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup butter, sliced

Directions:

1. Cut the cinnamon rolls into 1" pieces and place into a greased 9” x 13” casserole dish. Toss with the frosting packets.

2. Sprinkle the raisins and pecan pieces over the cinnamon roll pieces.

3. Beat the milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla until well blended, then pour over the cinnamon rolls.

4. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours but overnight would be better.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Slice the butter and dot the top of the rolls with it.

7. Place in oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes (or longer) until it is set in the center and bubbling around the edges.

Vanilla Bean Sauce Ingredients:

* ½ cup sugar
* 3 T. light brown sugar
* 1 T. white rice flour
* 1 t. ground nutmeg
* 1 egg
* 2 T. butter
* 1 ¼ cups whole cream
* 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together and cover over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, whisking constantly.

2. The mixture will thicken considerably and even more after it cools.

3. Sauce can be served either warm or at room temperature.