TFF: Dessert is served

Was it only in February where Tyler's mixed berry bread pudding was popping up on blogs everywhere? It seems right, that during the "longest" month of the year, when the dark and the cold is depressing and dragging us all down, that Tyler's bread pudding would be a comfort food that calls to the masses.

I admit, I skipped over this when I saw it in his book. I think it was the lemon fondant part of the title. To me, fondant is the sugary stuff you roll to put over a cake. It is there to make a cake look pretty, not for the taste.

Then I read a few reviews and decided to give it a try. I found some egg bread, the best I could do, pulled my bag of frozen mixed berries from the freezer, and made bread pudding. It took longer to cook than Tyler indicated, but that's okay. I'd rather take an extra 10 minutes to bake something than have it cook 10 minutes sooner than expected and end up burnt or over done.

I halved the "fondant", being reluctant to add 2 full cups of icing sugar to the pudding. After all, there was already enough eggs and cream that it wasn't exactly health food, even with all the fruit. Turned out to be a good decision as the touch of lemon from the fondant was perfect! Not too tart, not too sweet, just nicely there.

It was even better the next day, cold.

A definite make again, probably at the request of my oldest, who loved every bite of this and asked for seconds.

This is my submission for this week's Tyler Florence Fridays. No worries, I haven't abandoned my deep fryer, but just looking for a bit of variety, that's all!

Mixed Berry Bread Pudding with Lemon Fondant
by Tyler Florence, from Stirring the Pot, recipe found on Food Network

Butter, room temperature
4 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for dusting and topping
4 large slices brioche bread
2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), plus more for garnish

Lemon Fondant:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 lemons, zested and juiced

Butter and sugar a large sized casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sugar. Combine well with a whisk.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Tear the brioche up into large pieces using your hands, add to the custard mixture and toss to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepare pan and gently press down on the surface. Sprinkle with more sugar, then refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to let soak.

Bake for 25 minutes in the center of the oven. The pudding is ready when it has puffed up and the custard is set. The top should be a nice golden color. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

Make the fondant. In a mixing bowl combine sifted powdered sugar, water, lemon zest and juice.

Once the pudding has cooled slightly, drizzle the lemon fondant over warm bread pudding and serve with extra fresh berries.