A yummy and healthful twist on a bread pudding recipe

One of my favorite comfort foods is bread pudding. Believe it or not, it’s a thrifty way to use leftover bread. If your kids are like mine, they don’t like the “butt” pieces of a loaf, and I hate throwing them away. Or maybe you smooshed a loaf of bread on the way home from the store beyond all recognition, or don’t want to eat the bread that came with take out.

Instead, take all your stale, mashed and broken pieces of bread and store them in a plastic freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. You can use the bread for stuffing, turn them into bread crumbs, or make bread pudding.

Grand Marnier Spiked Bread Pudding with Goji Berries, Mulberries, Cacao Nibs and Roasted Pistachios
From Miami City Chefs and Kopali Organics

The twist on this decadent dessert is that it uses “superfoods” like goji berries and nuts, organic and fair trade ingredients, and soy milk. We won’t tell if you use regular eggs and cow’s milk though.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf brioche bread (approximately 20 ounces)
• ¼ cup of Grand Marnier Liqueur
• 4 cups soy milk
• 1 vanilla bean split vertically and scrape the inside with a spoon
• 1 cup natural cane sugar
• 6 organic large eggs
• 4 organic large egg yolks
• 1 cup Kopali Organics Mix (organic goji berries, mulberries, cacao nibs, and pistachios)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 315 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a medium bowl whisk the Grand Marnier, milk, vanilla bean (seeds and pod), sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks. 
3. Strain the mixture to remove any impurities from the eggs and the vanilla bean pod. 
4. Cut the crust off the loaf of bread and cut into ½ inch cubes. 
5. Place bread in a buttered baking dish and evenly sprinkle the goji berries, mulberries, cacao nibs, and roasted pistachios. 
6. Gently pour the liquid mixture over the bread mixture. 
7. Bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes or until liquid sets into a custard. 
8. Scoop a portion with a spoon and serve slightly warm.

Note:

• You don’t have to use brioche – any bread, even gluten free, will do.
• If you don’t have Grand Marnier Liqueur, use strong orange juice instead (not too diluted).
• If you can’t find vanilla bean, use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• To make even healthier use free range organic eggs with Omega-3.
• Use the leftover egg whites in a low calorie, low fat omelet or as a facial mask.
• If you or a family member has a nut allergy, use a combination of Kopali Organics organic dried fruits and organic fair trade dark chocolate. You can throw in some pine nuts (which are seeds, not nuts) for their crunch and high protein value.