Gimme food. Gimme cobbler? Gimme that which I desire!
Apparently it’s Autumn. Sadly, it’s a bit warm here in California, so I’m still weeks out from the official start of Baking Season. I’ll share this recipe anyhow, daydreaming of the cooler weather where I can wear fuzzy socks and bake all the things. I haven’t come across a bread pudding murder…yet. Possibly because after consuming a bunch of bread pudding, one just wants a nap and couldn’t bother with committing crime. However I did find a food crime/frivolous lawsuit that tickled me. While I say frivolous lawsuit, I suppose it really depends on which food’s side you’re on.
In 2015 a Michigan prisoner named Iatonda Taylor sued the company Aramark which supplied food for the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility he was being held in. His complaint? The prison ran out of waffles, and he was afraid of getting hurt during a riot that almost broke out over them. I suppose when you’ve already killed a man it’s not hard to imagine maiming or killing another in a frozen waffle riot. Sure they gave them PB&J sandwiches to eat, but those sure as hell are not waffles. Where does bread pudding come in? His suit also alleged the menu has stated they’d be serving bread pudding for dessert- only to serve peach cobbler in a cruel bait-and-switch. THE OUTRAGE. Normally I’d probably pick the cobbler myself, but the prison version is most likely made with canned peaches and far less filling than the carb-laden goodness that is bread pudding. For me, the biggest food crime was serving reconstituted scrambled eggs when they ran out of grilled cheese sandwiches. Nooooo! His suit was dismissed with District Judge Paul L. Maloney saying, “The fact that the food provided may have been less appealing than what was advertised or somewhat unsatisfying does not amount to a constitutional deprivation.”
In the years since Iatonda’s suit was dismissed, it is unknown how many times he’s had to suffer the fear of a possible waffle riot, or choke down a prison cobbler. What is known is how he ended up incarcerated, which takes this fun little lawsuit story to a darker place: In 2002 he stabbed his girlfriend, carjacked a vehicle, and slit his own throat. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and spent a few years institutionalized. While in custody he was medicated, which straightened him out. However, once he was released, he stopped taking his medication and began having issues. It was a pattern that repeated multiple times. His sister asked the court that he be held in custody and treated, so he couldn’t hurt himself or others. But, as with many mentally ill people- there simply aren’t enough resources to do so. In 2006 when he was released from the institution, Iatonda moved in with his brother Moise Taylor. Moise sounds like a good brother to have. He took him into his home, where he lived with his wife and four kids, and was paying to drywall the basement so Iatonda would have his very own room. Moise even baked Iatonda a German chocolate cake from scratch for his birthday. Like I said, he’s a good brother to have.
But Iatonda, unaware of the food cards he’d be dealt in prison, traded homemade cakes for prison cakes. Prison cakes, be they from the cafeteria, canteen, or the cellblock, are always best avoided. Just a week after the birthday cake and celebration, Moise’s wife came home to find him stabbed to death in the living room. Blood was splattered around three floors of the house indicating it had been an intense struggle. Iatonda, who had bashed his brother over the head with a hammer before stabbing him to death 25 times with a butcher’s knife, pled not guilty by reason of insanity. He claimed to have delusions that his family was poisoning his food. While he had avoided prison on that defense in times past- it didn’t work this time. The court found he was mentally ill, but not insane, as he had taken steps to conceal his guilt by hiding bloody clothes, not letting a visitor into the house, and taking the car with the most gas to make a short getaway. He was convicted of first degree murder, and as a habitual offender, he was sentenced to life without parole.
It’s hard to feel much sympathy for a murderer not getting his breakfast waffles after he blew such a hole through his own family. He had a family that loved him and tried to take care of him, but he wouldn’t even take care of himself. The saying goes that mental illness is not your fault, but it is your responsibility.
While I’m not sure exactly how the prison’s lunch lady is making Iatonda’s lawsuit-worthy bread pudding, I imagine it’s a much less decadent version than this. Definitely doesn’t have any booze in it! This recipe is one I’ve been using for a couple years now. It’s delicious, feels very “Welcome To Fall”, and is totally customizable. One could add a half cup of bourbon soaked raisins or a couple diced and sautéed apples, maybe ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon to the milk mixture, or more booze or no booze to the sauce for example. You can make it as a singular big pudding to be served family style, or a bunch of snazzy individual puddings in a muffin tin as I prefer to do.
Pecan Praline Bread Pudding
Bread Pudding:
1 day old crusty loaf of bread, preferably a French Batard (Italian bread also works)
½ c. Sugar
¾ c. Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
4 Eggs
4 Egg Whites
1 12 oz. can Evaporated Milk
½ c. Water
⅓-½ c. Heavy Cream (add the full half cup if too dry)
¼ c. Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
Praline Sauce:
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 ¼ c. Dark Brown sugar
1/8 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 c. Corn Syrup
1 ½ c. Heavy Cream
¾ c. Chopped Pecans
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 Tbsp. Bourbon, optional
Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces or you can tear them for a more rustic look.
In a large bowl, whisk the sugars, salt, eggs, and egg whites together until smooth.
Whisk the evaporated milk, water, cream, maple syrup, and vanilla into the egg mixture.
Add the bread to the milk mixture, tossing to evenly coat.
Let the mixture rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but up to 24 hours is fine.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° and grease a muffin tin or 9x13 baking dish.
Add all of the mixture to the 9x13 or fill each muffin cup.
Bake the bread puddings for 18-25 minutes for the muffin tins until the bread is a little crispy on top but springy when pushed. For a 9x13 pan bake for 35 minutes covered with foil, uncover, and bake for another 15 mins. MEANWHILE:
Add the butter, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, cream, and pecans in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, constantly stirring.
Add 2 Tbsp. of Bourbon, if using, off the heat to the bubbling mixture, return to heat, and continue to stir.
Once the sauce has reduced a bit and has a nice drizzling consistency, turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
When the bread pudding is done baking, remove from the oven.
For the big pudding: pour approximately half the sauce (getting most of the nuts) over the bread while still warm. For muffins: use approximately 1 Tbsp. of sauce and artfully arrange some pecan pieces over the top of each.
Serve portions with extra sauce.