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Pretzel Bread Pudding with Cardamom Cajeta (Goat Milk Caramel)

FIND IT

Cajeta: 3hrs

Bread pudding: 1hr

Serves: About 8-10

INGREDIENTS

For the cajeta
2 quarts goat’s milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split
3 green cardamom pods, cracked
1 cinnamon stick (~2″)
1/2 tsp baking soda, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

For the bread pudding
8 pretzel rolls, torn into 1-inch pieces (~8-9 cups of bread)
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 star anise pod (optional)
3 green cardamom pods, cracked (optional)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar

PREPARATION

  • For the cajeta
  • In a large dutch oven (~6 quarts), combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean, cracked cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, and set over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the milk comes to a simmer and all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the dissolved baking soda. Depending on how acidic the goat milk is, the mixture will bubble up a lot. Once the bubbles subside, return the pot to the heat.
  • Adjust the heat to maintain the mixture at a brisk simmer – too high a heat and the mixture will boil over; too low and it’ll be a long and seemingly endless process. I was using a Le Creuset dutch oven, which keeps the heat pretty evenly distributed, so I kept the heat right at medium for most of the cooking process. Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns pale golden, about an 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
  • Once the mixture becomes the consistency of syrup and the color turns from yellow to caramel, begin to stir more frequently to prevent any milk from burning on the bottom of the pan. Cajeta will thicken as it cools. To test the consistency, place a few drops of the cajeta on a cold plate – it should be the consistency of a thick caramel sauce. Continue to cook if necessary. I cooked my cajeta for 2 1/2 hours total.
  • Pour the cajeta through a strainer set over a bowl or a wide-mouth storage jar. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Cateja can be warmed just before serving by microwaving in 20 second increments until desired temperature. Add a few drops of hot water if the consistency is too thick. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a month.
  • For the bread pudding
  • Tear the pretzel rolls into 1″ pieces. Set aside.
  • Optional delicious but totally unnecessary step: In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream and 1 cup of milk over medium heat. Add star anise and cracked cardamom pods. Stir to combine, and heat mixture until it becomes steamy and barely starts to bubble. Remove from heat, cover, and let the spices steep in the milk for 30 minutes. After steeping, strain mixture into a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350F and lightly butter a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
  • In the large bowl combine the cream, milk (if you infused your milk and cream, add the additional 1 cup of milk now), eggs, sugar and vanilla paste or extract. Whisk to combine. Pour the mixture over the torn pretzel bread. Set aside for ~20 minutes, allowing the bread soak up the custard mixture. Press down the bread pieces every few minutes to ensure all pieces are absorbing the custard.
  • Preheat oven to 350F and lightly butter a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
  • Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean. If it’s still a bit jiggly after 45 minutes, bake longer, checking every 5 minutes. The pudding should be slightly puffed and browned. Serve hot, warm or room temperature, drizzled with cajeta. Garnish with a sprinkle with sea smoked salt.