FREDERICKSBURG PEACH & WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH SCHNAPPS WHISKEY SAUCE AND CHANTILLY CREAM

FREDERICKSBURG PEACH & WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH SCHNAPPS WHISKEY SAUCE AND CHANTILLY CREAMThere’s no finer peach than a Fredericksburg peach, but if you just can’t make it here during peach season, it is acceptable to use peaches from somewhere else. (But it will be better with Fredericksburg peaches!)

Ingredients

Bread Pudding:

8 ounces white chocolate, cut into small chunks
2 cups half and half
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup Fredericksburg Farms Homemade Peach Preserves
10 ounces day-old croissants, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 cups fresh Fredericksburg peaches, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces, about 6 medium peaches
½ cup toasted chopped pecans
1 tablespoons vanilla extract

Whiskey & Peach Sauce:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten until frothy
⅓ cup Fredericksburg Farms Oma’s Peach Syrup
¼ cup good quality sour mash whiskey

Chantilly Cream:

1 cup whipping cream, well chilled
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13” x 9” baking dish; set aside. In a 2-quart saucepan combine the white chocolate, half and half, cinnamon, butter, and Homemade Peach Preserves. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until chocolate has melted. Remove from heat and set aside. Place croissant pieces in a large bowl and stir in the white chocolate mixture, blending well and breaking up the croissants. In bowl of electric mixer, combine eggs and sugar; beat at medium speed until thickened, about 7 minutes. Add the peaches, pecans, and vanilla; beat just to blend. Fold egg mixture into the croissants, blending well. Turn out into prepared baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

To make the Peach Sauce, cream butter and sugar in electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Transfer to top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook for 20 minutes, whisking often until the mixture is silken smooth and comes away from the side of the pan when whisked. Whisk ½ cup of the hot butter mixture into the beaten eggs, then another ¼ cup. Whisk the warmed eggs into the remaining butter mixture over the heat. Cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in the Oma’s Peach Syrup and whiskey; whisk to blend. Serve warm.

Make the Chantilly Cream by combining all ingredients in bowl of electric mixer. Beat at medium speed until the mixture forms loose, floppy peaks. Refrigerate, tightly covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve.

To serve, slice the warm pudding into squares. Place a portion of the Peach Sauce in the bottom of each serving bowl and set a square of pudding in the center. Top with a large dollop of Chantilly Cream.