Blackberry Orange Bread Pudding

I don't know why, but it seems like every time the weather turns cold, I turn on the oven.

Not because I'm cold, mind you, but because I can't resist the urge to bake...sweets, especially. You could almost say I've been on a baking spree. Or you could just go ahead and all the way say it, because it's the truth.

What's also the truth is that my clothes have shrunk.

Ahem. I can't imagine why that's happened.

But I do wish I was a better sharer. Unfortunately, I tend to gobble up everything I bake faster than a bear bulking up for hibernation, and I only think about sharing these goodies after the fact.

So, since I don't have any actual baked goods to offer you, the best I can do for you is to share this recipe and hope it inspires you to do some baking yourself.

Feel free to invite me over if it does. You're probably better at sharing than me.

And speaking of sharing, this very recipe was inspired by my gracious orange tree, which has recently decided share with me some lovely and bright, citrusy and sweet, fresh Ozark-grown oranges--in the midst of this rush of arctic air that has settled around the homestead, and the greenhouse in particular.

Go figure. But I'm not complaining...though I am rambling, so let's go ahead and get started with this deliciously rich dish...

Blackberry Orange Bread Pudding
8 cups bread, torn into pieces
4 cups milk (or eggnog)
3 eggs
1 stick butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 orange, peeled and diced
1/4 cup blackberries

1. Preheat oven to 375. Pour melted butter over bread and oranges in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together milk or eggnog, eggs, nutmeg, sugar and vanilla. Pour mixture over buttered bread. Allow to rest for 30 minutes, then add blackberries.
3. Butter a baking pan and pour in bread mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Here's the step by step...
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Tear the bread into pieces into a big mixing bowl and add in the oranges.
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Melt a stick of butter and pour it over the bread and oranges, then stir it all around a bit with a fork.

On a side note, I find melted butter mesmerizing. I could probably stare at it for hours, but I've heard staring is rude so I won't do that...right now, at least.
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And now you need to grab a smaller bowl and add together the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla.
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Then grab a fork and whisk in the milk (or leftover eggnog in my case)...
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And pour it all over the bread mixture.

The bread will immediately begin soaking up the liquid, and it's kind of fun to watch. Which is why I decided to film it for you...
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Exciting, right? Well, I'm easily entertained, so I figured you were too. And you have some time to kill while you're waiting the half-hour for this to all to soak in and set up, so now you have something to watch.

Or you could just twiddle your thumbs.

It's up to you.

After 30 minutes or so the mixture will be slightly thicker and you'll be sick of that video, and that means it's time to toss in the blackberries. These can be either fresh or frozen, and if the berries are large it would be good to cut them in half. I used wild berries which tend to be on the smaller side, so I didn't need to do this. Either way, they add a sweet tanginess to the pudding, and the deep dark color is a great contrast to the oranges and the mixture itself--and you know how I love colorful food!
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Pour all this colorful goodness into the buttered pan and bake it at 375 degrees until it turns golden brown and puffs up a bit.

I love this part, but it doesn't always last. The puff might deflate a bit as the pudding cools, but that's really okay because once it starts to fall you can start to glaze it...

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I quickly mixed up some orange juice, powdered sugar, and butter to make a glisteny glaze, but you could also top it with a different glaze or even whipped cream and I bet it would be just as good.
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It's even better garnished with fruit and served with a cup of hot tea, by the way, so go the extra mile and jazz it up to your heart's desire.

Your heart (and your tastebuds) will love it...your waistline may not. But just remember--it's wintertime and we need all the calories we can get to help us survive this frigid season.

Or at least that's what I'm telling myself as my pants get harder and harder to button and my shirts get snugger and snugger around my mid-section.

I figure I'll have to start wearing stretchy pants and baggy shirts before long, so if you see me out and about this winter, just pretend you don't notice my outfit.

Thanks in advance...and enjoy the recipe!