Name: Carrabba's Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 6 cups cubed brioche or challah bread (day-old cubes.); 2 cups whole milk; 1 cup heavy cream; 4 large eggs; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest; 2 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur; ¼ teaspoon salt; 2 tbs unsalted butter (melted (to drizzle it)); 1 cup heavy cream; ½ cup whole milk; ½ cup sugar; 3 tbs unsalted butter.; Cornstarch (1 tablespoon, combined with 2 tablespoons of water.); 2-3 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; Pinch of salt

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Intro

Had the sunshine been dismissed from making dessert, I am sure it would have a flavour just like this. Limoncello Bread Pudding by Carrabba is precisely that warm and sunny combination of tender and bouncy bread pudding, with a lemon twist that is so delicious, it makes your taste buds perform a little happy dance.

I have always been fond of warm desserts, particularly those that could also be considered as comfort food and as a closing act. And this Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe strikes either of those notes.

It is golden outside and tender inside and bathed in the most heavenly limoncello cream sauce. A single swallow and you will tell you have gotten it right out of the kitchen of the Carrabba.

What Is Limoncello Bread Pudding at Carrabba’s?

The bread pudding is what can be called humble genius – stale bread made luxurious. But in the version of Carrabba, it is brought several notches higher with its Italian flavor. It is thick and creamy and has a taste of vanilla and a hint of citrus, and is topped with a limoncello cream sauce that is velvety and makes everything tuneful.

The Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe is their variation on the Southern classic with that distinct Italian flavor. Think about cubes of buttery bread being moistened in a creamy custard, and then baked until it is puffed and golden.

It comes out of the oven, and, to make it, you drizzle (all right, drown) it in a sweet, tangy limoncello sauce which is too tasty to take by the spoonful.

It is fancy but easy-going – the type of dessert that leaves everyone at the table feeling like they are having dinner at a homey trattoria in Naples.

The History of how I discovered this Dessert.

The initial experience with Limoncello Bread Pudding by Carrabba did not belong to my order. All night, my husband was talking about how good their pasta was; however, when it was time to have dessert, our server insisted that we have the lemon bread pudding.

I wasn’t convinced. Lemon and bread pudding? Together? However, a single bite and I was smitten away. It was all I adore in a creamy, warm, citrusy, and not very sweet. I recall as I leaned back and smiled, saying, Oh my gosh, this is like a summer and a comfort food got married.

Some weeks after that, I was in the kitchen with a bottle of limoncello and a pack of day-old brioche. I have finally mastered the Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe, or so it was called, and since then, it has been a regular in my kitchen.

Equipment List

Before your bathing suit, you have to be prepared:

9×13-inch baking dish
Mixing bowls (large and medium).
Whisk
Saucepan
Zester or fine grater
Measuring cups and spoons
Spatula or wooden spoon
A little saucepan of the limoncello sauce.

Ingredients For Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe

For the Bread Pudding:

6 cups cubed brioche or challah bread, day-old cubes.
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted (to drizzle it)

For the Limoncello Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sugar
3 tbs unsalted butter.
Cornstarch, 1 tablespoon, combined with 2 tablespoons of water.
2-3 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of salt

Instructions For Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe

1. Prepare the Bread

Turn your bread into cubes and place them on a baking pan. Should it not be already stale, place it in an oven with a temperature of 300°F (150 °C) and dry it down somewhat in 10 minutes or so. This aids in absorbing the custard so well without becoming mushy.

2. Make the Custard

Place the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, Lemoncello and salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. It must smell like sunshine, clouds of vanilla.

3. Combine Bread and Custard

Put the bread cubes in your prepared, greased baking dish. Pour the custard mixture into the top and press the bread down to ensure that all the pieces are covered. Allow it to rest 15- 20 minutes to absorb all the lemon.

4. Bake

Melted butter should be drizzled on top, and baked at 350°F (175 o C) approximately 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden, and the interior is only solid. The sides are to be a bit crispy, and the center should bounce a little when shaken in the pan.

5. Make the Limoncello Sauce

As the pudding is baking, put the cream, milk, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan and cook them over medium heat. Whisk and allow the sugar to dissolve and the butter to melt. Then add the cornstarch slurry, which is mixed continuously until the sauce becomes slightly thick. Take off the heat and add Limoncello, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.

6. Serve Warm

Prepare the bread pudding in bowls, whereby each portion is heaped with the bread pudding, and the warm Limoncello sauce is poured. You can garnish it with a twist of lemon zest it or a dollop of whipped cream, should you feel like being fancy.

The Flavor Experience

Each swallow of this Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe is a mini-trip. That is where you begin with that top layer of gold and crispness, which yields to the soft, custardy interior, saturated with cream and eggs and kissed with lemon. Next, the sauce strikes you- smooth, sour-sweet, and bourbonish.

It is the type of dessert that can cause one to interrupt the conversation and enjoy the dessert. The limoncello provides this light Italian touch that transforms the ordinary comfort food into something remarkable.

Suggestions on the Ideal Bread Pudding.

Bread quality: Use quality bread: Brioche or challah are the best – firm enough and yet soft enough to absorb the custard.

There is no hurry with the soaking time: Allowing the bread to absorb the custard is the guarantee of the tender, creamy texture.

Balance the lemon: Limoncello or zest may be overpowering. Taste as you go.

Not too hot: It should be served warm, not hot, because the flavours will enhance.

Prepare additional sauce: Don’t doubt me, people will want seconds of that limoncello cream.

Storage and Reheating

In case you do manage to have leftovers (it is not common, though, there are exceptions!), you can keep them refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days. Put the individual portions in the microwave or low oven to warm up within 30 to 40 seconds.

The limoncello sauce may be kept and stored separately and reheated on the stovetop or microwave gently.

Variations to Try

After you have perfected the Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe, you can explore the following amusing variations:

Blueberry Lemon Bread Pudding: Add a cup of fresh blueberries and have a fruity surprise during baking.

White Chocolate Limoncello: Add white chocolate chips to add more richness.

Raspberry Limoncello: Drizzle raspberry coulis on top to provide a sweet-tart contrast.

Coconut Limoncello: Use coconut milk instead of some cream to give it a tropical feel.

Perfect Pairings

Pair this pudding with:

An Italian finish with a shot of espresso.
A glass of sparkling prosecco- the bubbles go well with the lemon.
Dazzle of raspberry sauce to add colour and a touch of tartness.

Why I Love This Recipe

The Carrabba’s Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe is so special not only because of its taste but also because of its texture. It is something to look forward to as the custard is bubbling and setting in the oven, the citrusy smell fills your kitchen, and you are assured that you are making people happy.

It is also the ideal dessert that fits between seasons, warm enough to serve during winter, but sunny enough to serve during spring. And each time I make it, I get reminded that the best desserts are not only about sugar and cream, but are also about memories, comfort, and a little bit of magic in a pan.

Serving It Like Carrabba’s

To have that restaurant feel, the bread pudding can be served warm with the sauce being poured at the table. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and twist a lemon on top; it is a little thing, still, it makes it a little more special (and very Carrabba-like).

Final Thoughts

The Limoncello Bread Pudding Recipe of this Carrabba is all that I love about a dessert, only a few ingredients, large flavor, and a certain classy twist that makes the pudding unforgettable. It is a kind of recipe that one takes as luxurious and completely possible to make at home.

Then take that bread that remains, and pour yourself out a spoonful of limoncello, and bake a little sunshine. Because honestly? Dessert must make you smile, and this one will definitely do so.

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