Rhubarb-cherry-berry bread pudding for the Fourth of July!
Bread pudding . . . the name just doesn’t give a hint of what delights this dish can elicit. I think of it as “Lazy Woman’s Pie” or “Poor Man’s Cake” or “Desperate-Woman-With-Stale-Bread-Dessert” but in any case, it’s delightful. And the bonus of this dessert is that you can make it for your fourth of July celebration, because it’s full of red, white (if you add whipped cream, and of course, you will) and blue!
Take some stale bread, soak it in a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla for awhile. Then gently mix it with fruit–in this case, rhubarb, blueberries and cherries–and you’ve got a dessert worthy of serving to any dignitary who happens by your humble abode. Add a dollop of freshly-whipped cream (or a scoop of good ice cream) if the Queen Herself stops in.
Why don’t more people make this? I honestly don’t know. But once you’ve made it and served it to your friends and family, you’ll get many smacking-lipped, joy-filled eyes’ requests for you to make it again and again.
See, can’t you just sense how yummy this is?
Well, enough yakkin’. Here’s the recipe.
- 8-10 cups of stale, dense bread (I used homemade baguettes)
- 4 cups rhubarb, cleaned and diced fine
- 1 cup sour cherries, pitted
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten slightly
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- dash freshly-ground nutmeg, if you have it
- Crumble topping
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup butter
- Whipping cream, whipped with a few Tbs sugar, in case the Queen stops by
- In large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, sugars, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg to make the custard mixture. Add the bread cubes and let sit for 30 minutes, or until the bread has soaked up as much of the custard mixture as possible.
- Add rhubarb, cherries and berries and mix together very gently.
- Make the topping meanwhile, mixing butter and brown sugar until crumbly.
- Pour bread and fruit mixture into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle crumble topping on top, spreading it with a spoon. Bake pudding for 60 to 90ish minutes, or until the top is golden brown and slightly carmelized. When it’s done, a knife inserted into the center will come out clean.
- Cool, or serve warm with half and half, fresh whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Yum!
By the way, this dessert is equally good if you use all blueberries with the rhubarb, or all raspberries, or a mixture in different proportions. Blackberries, I’m sure, would be delightful, as well. It’s a very flexible dessert!
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14 thoughts on “Rhubarb-cherry-berry bread pudding for the Fourth of July!”
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This sounds yummy. I wish I still had the appetite to eat such things. There’s nothing lazy about making this dessert, and the rhubarb would make t super good for you.
WOW! This recipe brings back memories. Growing up we used to eat rhubarb all the time. I can’t wait to try it in bread pudding!
I grew up on bread pudding. I think it was my mom’s way of using stale bread. So good. I have to admit I have never made it but just reading your recipe made my mouth water so I might be tempted into making this in the future.
Cherries and rhubarb are meant for each other – make the best pie, the best desserts and the best combo sauce for ice cream 🙂
Love!!
I can’t eat bread or I’d be all over this.
Looks yummy! Wonder if the kids would eat it?
That looks delicious! And it’s made of ingredients I already have!
Holy moley, this is an absolute belter. I LOVE rhubarb and after my panzanella this week I have plenty of stale bread left. Guess what? I am so making this – Yummy !
The recipe better be flexible, dear Amy, because I HATE RHUBARB. I’ve tried time and again to like the stuff. That and broccoli rabe. Bleechhhh, for different reasons. Well, I used to detest feta cheese and I love it now. Maybe one day. Just not today.
Yum! Another rhubarb recipe! Yay!
My husband would love this recipe:) So glad I can print it out for him!
Looks amazing. I feel that it is my patriotic duty to make and eat this. Thanks! 🙂
I like the way you think . . . Tammie . . . Alessa??
Does it have to be stale bread? I don’t want to wait to make it. It sounds very yummy.
Debbie,
I don’t think the bread has to be stale, but you’ll want to use a hearty, stiffer bread, not a real soft, airy bread, or the bread part will turn to mush. ;(