Cinnamon Bagel Bread Pudding

December. Fruitcakes started on December first. This is my ninth year of starting them on December first and by now the ritual is so established that the smell of them soaking — the bourbon, the dried fruit, the clove undertone — is December itself, is the beginning of the season, is what the word December means in my body. I could be blindfolded in any month and know December by this smell alone.

Caleb is almost four months old. He is grabbing at things now, which means my hair is in danger during visits and my necklace is completely in danger and I have to be more deliberate about what I wear to Huntsville. Shanice says he has discovered his hands as objects and is now experimenting with what they can do, which is a developmental milestone and also a household hazard. I brought him a wooden rattle on my last visit, one that belonged to CJ, that I found in the cedar box. When I put it in his hand he looked at it with a focus that seemed entirely reasonable for a person making their first acquaintance with an object. Then he put it in his mouth, which is also a reasonable response.

Kezia applied to two culinary programs and got notification of an interview at the one she wants most — a three-year program at a culinary institute with a specific focus on American regional foodways, which is exactly right for her given what she has been building in that notebook for four years. She came Saturday and we made the fruitcakes together — my recipe, with her hands doing most of the work — and when we were done she said, I'm nervous about the interview. I said, I know. I said, when they ask you what drives your cooking, tell them the truth. She said, what is the truth? I said, you already know it. You've been writing it in a notebook since you were fourteen. She thought about it. Then she nodded. She knows.

The fruitcakes go away — wrapped, labeled, tucked into the cool dark of the pantry to cure and wait — and then there’s this quiet in the kitchen that asks to be filled with something else, something that doesn’t require patience or months. The afternoon Kezia and I finished the fruitcakes, we were still floury and warm and neither of us was ready to leave the kitchen, so we made this instead: a bread pudding that soaks and transforms the way the best baking does, that smells like cinnamon and cream and everything good about December, and that you can eat the same day you make it. That felt right.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min (plus 30 min soak) | Servings: 9

Ingredients

4 day-old cinnamon bagels (about 14 oz total), cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Powdered sugar or warm maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the pan. Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish. Spread the cubed bagel pieces evenly in the dish. Scatter raisins over the top if using.
Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla extract, and melted butter until fully combined and smooth.
Soak the bagels. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bagel cubes, pressing down gently with a spatula so every piece is submerged and beginning to absorb the liquid. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, pressing down once or twice more. For a richer result, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
Preheat the oven. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the custard is set in the center and the top is deep golden and slightly puffed. A knife inserted in the center should come out with no liquid custard clinging to it.
Rest and serve. Let the pudding rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with warm maple syrup. Serve warm, directly from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cinnamon Bagel Bread Pudding — What You Make When the Fruitcakes Are Done