Julia's Cinnamon Toast Flan (Bread Pudding)
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 slices cinnamon bread
1/4 cup sugar mixed with 2 tsp ground cinnamon
5 large eggs
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 cups hot milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the broiler. Prepare a baking dish by greasing with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter. Set aside.
Butter the slices of cinnamon bread with the remaining butter on one side. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Arrange on a baking sheet and place it under the broiler for a few seconds, until the bread is toasted and the golden. This takes just a little bit of time. Remove from the oven and cut into triangles, quartered.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the crème anglaise by whisking the eggs in a small saucepan using an electric beater (this an also be done by hand). Incorporate the sugar in a slow steady stream, and continue whisking until the eggs are paler in color and thicker, about 3 minutes or so. Drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the scalded milk while whisking, and slowly incorporate all the milk. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it begins to thicken. This transformation can happen very quickly, be careful not to overheat the custard as it can curdle. Once the custard coats the back of your wooden spoon, strain the crème anglaise into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla.
Layer the slices of bread buttered side up in the baking dish. Drizzle with a coating of crème anglaise, then place another layer of bread on top, followed by more crème anglaise.
Bake in a water bath by placing the baking dish in a larger pan and filling halfway with boiling water. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted about an inch away from the edge of the baking dish comes out clean.