Treat Yo Self Tuesday: Psych Pineapple Bread Pudding

Those of you familiar with Psych already know the deal with pineapples. But for those of you who haven't yet caught on, there's a pineapple in every single episode. Sometimes that pineapple is an actual pineapple; sometimes it's a painted pineapple on a sign; and sometimes it's in the form of a pineapple dessert.  Usually, the pineapple is pretty easy to find if you're looking for it, but that's not always the case. 

​In any event, what better way to celebrate Psych than with a pineapple themed dessert?

---

There's no shortage of pineapple themed food, but because I had a request for "scalloped pineapples" (which is basically pineapple bread pudding), that's the dessert I made. I understand that you may be hesitant, and I agree. Bread pudding is generally not my favorite dessert. There's a tendency for it to be either too dry or too eggy and thick. However, this dessert is neither of those things.  It's moist and pineapple-y, and actually really, really good. I know... I was surprised too.

But if you're still not feeling the whole bread pudding thing, there are still plenty of pineapple desserts. In  one episode, Shawn spends actual hours (maybe even days--I can't remember) making a pineapple upside down cake in an easy bake oven, ​ so a pineapple upside down cake is a great option. You could also go savory and serve pineapple on a teriyaki burger or with ham. Technically, I believe traditional scalloped pineapples is served with ham, though that sounds awful to me. 

Anyways.  On to the pineapple bread pudding! 

It's a fairly basic bread pudding recipe, except that I subbed some of the liquid for pineapple juice. I drained a can of crushed and a can of chopped pineapples (though in hindsight, I think I'd use two cans of crushed), reserving the liquid to soak the bread. 

I also used challah bread instead of plain white bread because I like the the flavor and texture. However, you should feel free to sub out your own favored bread. I think a crusty french loaf or croissants might also be nice. It's best to dry your bread out by just leaving it out uncovered over night, but failing that, you can dry it out in the oven (instructions in recipe below).

  I originally planned to make a caramel sauce to drizzle over this, but after having a taste, that would most certainly be over kill. The bread pudding is already incredibly creamy--if anything, I would add more toasted, dry bread crumbs to the top before baking so that I had a thicker crunchy crust layer. 

Pineapple Bread Pudding 

Ingredients 

• 1 loaf dry challah bread, cut into cubes (about 3/4 inch)
• 2 cans of crushed pineapple 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 9 large egg yolks 
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups reserved pineapple juices from cans

For the top layer:

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon  sugar 
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. If bread isn't dry, spread bread cubes in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until just dry, about twenty minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Cool bread cubes for at least 20 minutes. 
2. Drain the two cans of pineapple, reserving two cups of the liquid. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk sugar, yolks, vanilla, salt, heavy cream, milk and pineapple juice. Add bread crumbs, reserving about 3 cups for the top crust layer. Add crushed pineapple to bread paste mixture. Toss, then transfer mixture to 13x9 baking dish (or two smaller baking dishes, which is what I did).
4. Let the mixture stand in dish for at least 3o minutes, occasionally pushing bread down into liquid so that it soaks up more liquid. 
5. Spread reserved bread cubes over mixture.  Brush with melted butter. 
6. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and   sugar.  Sprinkle sugar mixtures over the bread cubes.
7. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the custard sets. The top layer should be a golden-brown color. Transfer to wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.
8. Serve while still warm.  

Notes

1. You can refrigerate the bread pudding prior to cooking up to a day. 
2. To reheat bread pudding after baking and refrigerating,  cut into  squares and heat in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes (or until warm). 

---

Post by Rachel Paxton. She once ate two whole pineapples in one day. It burnt her taste buds off, but she regrets nothing. Even the things she says on Twitter.