Raspberry Cream Brown Betty

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for dishes
• 3 cups small bread cubes (1/4-inch)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (2 oz.)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (only if not using challah or brioche)
• 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped from
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2/3 cup sugar (4 1/2 oz.)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 pint raspberries (1 cup)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 butter six 5-ounce ramekins.
• 3 spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
• 4 once the bread is cool, toss it with the melted butter and sugar; set aside.
• 5 to make the pastry cream--put the vanilla bean seeds into a saucepan.
• 6 add the half-and-half and vanilla pod and cook over med-low heat until hot but not boiling.
• 7 separately, whisk the sugar and salt into the egg yolks and continue whisking until slightly thickened and lighter in color.
• 8 add the cornstarch and whisk until combined.
• 9 slowly pour half of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, stirring constantly until well blended.
• 10 pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble.
• 11 strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and stir frequently until cool.
• 12 distribute half of the bread cubes among the prepared ramekins.
• 13 pour the pastry cream over the bread cubes, then put the berries atop the pastry cream.
• 14 top with the remaining bread cubes.
• 15 bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops have browned and the berries bleed slightly.
• 16 cool to room temperature.
• 17 storage--this dessert is best eaten as soon as it is cooked, but any leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator overnight.
• 18 reheat at 325° for about 10 minutes, until warmed through.