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Who doesn’t love a good bread pudding?  I never got to eat this growing up.  In fact, I wasn’t even sure what it was until I saw it at a buffet in my late teens.  Bread.  Pudding.  My old-Vietnamese mind couldn’t wrap around such a queer concept.  Thankfully, I got over that at 21 when I had my first bite.  Then I started making them for pot lucks, barbecues, anything.  I tend to make the bar version a lot, though the really custardy kind will always be a dear favorite.  Never – I repeat never – will Bill Cosby take a cent from this pudding pop again!

This is a really delightful summer recipe I came across in Cooking Light.  I have not tested it out myself, but according to several consumer reviews, it checks out flawlessly.  What I like is that it takes a decadent dessert – a comfort food really – and fluffs it up into this refreshing, tropical dream.  As always, I must caution you to be careful when adding in sugar.  Half a cup for one pudding sounds excessive to me, especially with the honey and mango nectar already added in.  And, of course, use toasted fresh coconut and fresh mango juice now that you can; these steps will do wonders for your taste buds and your health!

COCONUT MANGO BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients:
for pudding
1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
6 cups (1-inch) day-old cubed French bread (6 slices)
2 cups diced peeled ripe mango (1/2 pound)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

Ingredients:
for sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup mango or apricot nectar
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare bread pudding, combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in bread and mango. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Pour mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until set. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

To prepare sauce, combine sugar and nectar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Combine the cornstarch and evaporated milk in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to nectar mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve warm over bread pudding.

Stay tuned for a savory mango recipe – so easy and such a crowd pleaser in every way!!

*Courtesy of Donna Shields
*Originally published in Cooking Light, January 2000