Puerto Rican Bread Pudding ~ Coconut Cornbread Pudding

This is suitable for leftover cornbread the next day, when no one wants to eat it, day-old cornbread. Since stumbling upon this idea that I found in a magazine, and since I adore bread puddings, I think this will be my pick for Fall; at Christmas, my bread pudding choice will be wonderful French bread with chocolate along with the dark rum; for Spring, no doubt– raisins again, with dark rum, of course.  Got to have rum in bread pudding, and you’ve got to soak the raisins in rum, slightly heat in the microwave, then let set.  This is what makes it good, for one thing…  and then there is cream…

12 ounces cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half

1 tablespoon melted butter, unsalted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine the raisins and rum; heat in the microwave for approximately 15-20 seconds.  Leave the raisins in the rum to saturate.  Then drain, reserving the liquid.

Spread the cornbread evenly on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes.  Then remove from the oven and turn down the temperature to 325 degrees. 

In a large whisking bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, evaporated milk or half-and-half, melted butter, reserved soaking liquid, sugar and salt.  Stir in the raisins, fold in the cornbread and let stand for 10 minutes. 

Transfer the cornbread mixture to a greased 8-inch baking dish and bake until crusty and golden, about 50 minutes.

Reminder:  Be careful not to add too much cornbread; otherwise, the bread pudding will be dry, not moist.  It may not look like you have enough cornbread in the bowl before placing in the oven, but the cornbread will expand, soaking up more liquid while baking.  If you have more cornbread than stated according to the recipe, before serving, drizzle moderately with extra coconut milk and droplets of dark rum.  This will moisten it.