Check out this fonio garam masala bread pudding in collaboration with Burlap & Barrel.
The New York Times has one of the most simple and delicious bread pudding recipes out there - a somewhat more sophisticated version of the bread pudding I grew up eating at home. Bread pudding is a great after sunday dinner dessert, especially during the cooler and colder months. The NYT’s recipe while delicious, serves more as a base to build a bread pudding off of, and lacked the signature spices I crave in my families homemade version like cinnamon and nutmeg.
I recently got some of Burlap & Barrels beautiful Garam Masala, and knew it would be the perfect addition to a fonio-fied bread pudding recipe. Adding in a bit of cooked and cooled fonio gives the bread pudding a deliciously nutty vanilla flavor, and it pairs perfectly with the spices in the garam masala. It also lends its fluffy texture to the pudding, keeping it sturdy but silky. If you can’t get Burlap & Barrels sustainably made & sourced garam masala, you can make your own by toasting and mixing warm spices like cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf, cardamom, mace, and cloves. A sprinkling of brown sugar before finishing the bread pudding in the oven also adds a little more sweetness, crunch, and color to this deliciously deep and rich bread pudding.
10 Min Prep
45 Min Cook
8 Servings
by: Yolele
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fonio, cooked & cooled according to package directions
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, more for greasing pan
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons Burlap & Barrel Garam Masala
- ½ loaf sweet egg bread like challah or brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes (about 5 to 6 cups)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup brown sugar (optional)
Preparation
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Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar, salt, and garam masala. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with cubed bread.
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Step 2
Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; and add cooked and cooled fonio, then pour mixture over bread.
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Step 3
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned.
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Step 4
Halfway through, sprinkle brown sugar on top and place back into the oven for a sweet topping. Serve warm or at room temperature.
In this Recipe...
Fonio
Fonio is a regeneratively grown, community-building, really small ancient grain that’s been celebrated in West Africa for over 5,000 years. A versatile, nutrient-dense, anything-but-boring alternative to rice, quinoa or couscous, fonio brings the spirit of West Africa to your kitchen in just five minutes. It’s a simple, everyday sidekick to grilled meats, fish, and veggies, soaking up sauces and juices beautifully.
