For Easy Bread Pudding, You Need To Use Something Other Than Custard

Bread pudding is the perfect way to give stale bread a new (and delicious) life, but there's a way to make it come together even more quickly. Skip pulling out multiple ingredients and measuring cups, and simply substitute the custard component with melted ice cream instead.

At its most simple, a custard combines milk or cream with eggs, which is exactly what makes up many ice cream bases. Melting it down opens up a world of possibilities — Jacque Pépin uses ice cream to make French toast, and Ina Garten's single ingredient sauce for heavenly desserts is simply melted vanilla Häagen-Dazs. Additionally, ice creams already have all sorts of flavorings and toppings mixed in, which makes putting together a delicious bread pudding that much easier. Vanilla and chocolate are classics, but salted caramel, cookies and cream, butter pecan, and coffee are all great choices. Aside from your favorite tub, all you need are bread and eggs. Even though many brands of frozen custard and ice cream contain eggs, you do need fresh ones for structure and lift.

Use 3 eggs and 2 pints of melted ice cream per pound of bread, which is approximately one loaf. You can add in sweetener if you like, but keep in mind that the ice cream is already adding sugar, as is your bread, if you are using something like brioche. You can always incorporate a sweet finish with a drizzle of caramel or butterscotch or a spoonful of Blake Lively's favorite dessert sauce.

One of the secrets behind making the best bread pudding is using stale bread. Not only is this a great way to transform an item that is past its prime, but slightly dry bread actually makes the dessert better. It is sturdy enough to soak up all that delicious melted ice cream without turning to absolute mush. If your bread is still too fresh, just lightly toast torn pieces or cubes in the oven, or let them sit out on the counter to dry.

Another way to ensure your bread pudding comes out great is to allow the bread to sit in the ice cream and beaten egg mixture before baking. You want the liquid to be completely absorbed, which can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how hearty and dense your bread is. Otherwise, the inside of each piece may turn out dry instead of silky.

Once fully saturated, transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You will know it is done when the bread pudding has puffed up and pulled away from the sides of the pan slightly and the top is golden brown. And what better way to serve melted-ice-cream bread pudding than with more ice cream? Make sure to grab an extra pint so you can top your dessert off with a final scoop!