Ohana Bread Pudding A La Mode with Banna Foster Sauce

Originally from Disney's Polynesian Resort, this is one of my favorite Disney recipes. The recipe looks complicated, but it is one of the easiest deserts to make. It has proved to be very popular with dinner guests, with Nick Waters renaming it 'Michael's Flaming Banana'.

Makes 6-8 servings.

For the Bread Pudding
5 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups whole milk
1 loaf day old bread – whole, not slcied (large enough to fill 10 cups)
½ cup crushed, canned pineapple
¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
vanilla ice cream

For the Banana Foster Sauce
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup each: glucose syrup and unsalted butter
1 cup each: cream and spiced or dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 bananas


Method
To make the Bread Pudding:

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease large baking dish with butter.

In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Cut bread in 1/2-inch cubes. Add bread, pineapple and coconut to egg-and-milk mixture. Add bread and custard mixture to the greased baking dish.

Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes.


Meanwhile, make the banana Foster Sauce

In a saucepan, combine dark brown sugar, glucose syrup, butter, and half of the cream. Using high heat; bring to a rolling boil. Allow mixture to boil 10 minutes.

Add remaining cream. Let it boil additional minute.

Now add the rum and vanilla extract. Carefully flambe pan using a long stemmed lighter. Let boil until the flame goes out. Reduce to a simmer and stir with a high heat spatula.

Peel and slice bananas; add them to the caramel sauce. Remove the caramel from the heat and set aside.

To serve:
Place scoop of ice cream on top of each portion of bread pudding. Top with banana Foster sauce.

Recipe note:
Make the sauce as bread pudding is baking to have both hot and ready to serve at the same time.