Panettone Bread Pudding

• 1 panettone bread (1.1 lb or 500 g)
• ▢½ Tbsp unsalted butter (for greasing the casserole dish; cooking spray works too but we love butter!)
• ▢10 large eggs
• ▢⅓ cup sugar (You can reduce the sugar to ¼ cup (50 g) if you prefer less sweet or plan to serve with sweet syrup/whipped cream. We like ⅓ cup of sugar and it's not overly sweet even with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar)
• ▢1 ½ cups heavy (whipping) cream
• ▢½ cup whole milk

Seasonings

• ▢2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢½ tsp almond extract (optional)
• ▢1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢½ tsp ground clove (optional)
• ▢¼ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
• ▢1 tsp orange zest (from one orange; you can increase to 2 tsp if you like)

To Serve

• ▢confectioners’ sugar/powdered sugar (for dusting)
• ▢fresh whipped cream (optional)

• Gather all the ingredients.
  

To Make the Custard

• In a large bowl, whisk together 10 eggs and ⅓ cup sugar. Tip: Make sure to beat the eggs well and let the sugar dissolve at this point; it gets harder to mix when more liquid is added.
• Add 1 ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and ½ tsp almond extract.
• Add 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground clove, and ¼ tsp kosher salt.
• Lastly, add 1 tsp orange zest and whisk all together. Set aside.

To Prepare the Bread Pudding

• Cut the Panettone into 1 inch (2.5 cm) slices.
• Cut the slices into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
• Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish with butter and place cubed bread in the casserole.
• Pour the mixture evenly over the Panettone. If the top of the bread pudding is not covered with the custard, you can gently press down or flip some piece to coat with the custard. Cover it with plastic and refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight (preferably).

To Bake the Bread Pudding

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and transfer the casserole dish from the refrigerator to the preheated oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes, rotating halfway, until the bread pudding has set in the center, puffed up, and is golden brown.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm. Enjoy!

To Store

• Place the leftover in an airtight container (or wrap it tightly in plastic) and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.