Serves 8
BREAD PUDDING
6 eggs
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup cream
1 cup water
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6-8 cinnamon buns, cubed
Combine all ingredients except cinnamon buns in a bowl and mix to combine (your hands are the best tool for this!). Fold in the cubed cinnamon buns. Add mixture to a greased 9”x13” and 325°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until an internal temperature of 185° is reached. If the top begins to brown before, cover with foil. Remove from oven and set aside.
BOURBON APPLES
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
4 teaspoons bourbon
3 teaspoons vanilla
Make a slurry combining the cornstarch and water until smooth, and set aside. Combine all remaining ingredients except vanilla in a pan over medium heat and cook down until the apples have browned and are tender. Stir in the slurry and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Spoon apples and a splash of sauce on each portion of bread pudding and add whipped cream.
Rich Vana sits as Chairman on the Collin College Culinary Advisory Board. Both the Culinary Arts and Pastry Arts programs at Collin College are American Culinary Federation Accredited programs, from which students graduate ready to join the industry. The majority of Vana’s kitchen staff is either currently enrolled in or has graduated from the Collin College Culinary or Pastry program. Some may arrive with a hold on the fundamentals, but little experience. But Vana and Christian say all have fire, aptitude, and the right attitude. The Heritage Table is proud to give budding chefs a chance to spread their sweet and savory wings in their very own community.