Cook Like A. Champion with host Chef Ace Champion | New Episode Every Monday

In this week's episode of "Cook Like A. Champion," Chef Ace combines two family recipes (his great grandmother's sweet potato pie and aunt's bread pudding) to create this mouthwatering dessert.   He tops it off with a yummy vanilla bean bourbon custard sauce.

Sweet Potato Pie Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Bourbon Custard Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter
6 large eggs
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
2 medium sweet potatoes, skinned and fully baked
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon, ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or paste
2 ¼ cup whole milk
2 ¼ cup evaporated milk
2 medium sweet potatoes, skinned and fully baked
10 cups day-old French bread, cubed 1-inch thick
pecans for garnish

9 x 13-inch casserole dish or loaf pans

 PREPARATION                                                                              

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter and set aside.
2. Wrap the sweet potato in aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour and ¼ or until nice and soft. Allow them to cool before peeling the skin off.

3. In a large bowl add the eggs and whisk well. Add brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and vanilla, mix well. Add whole milk and evaporated milk and whisk and add sweet potato to mix well making sure all ingredients are bonded together.

4. Add bread to the mixture and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes mixing every 10 minutes to make sure all liquid is absorbed.

5. Transfer the bread mixture to a 9 x 12 baking casserole dish and bake at 350 °F or until the center of the bread pudding, about 45 to 55 minutes. While bread is baking, make vanilla bean custard sauce.

6. Remove from oven and let it carry over cooking. This should take about 20 more minutes.

7. Slice and serve with vanilla bean custard sauce.

Vanilla Bean Bourbon Custard Sauce                                

INGREDIENTS

4 egg yolks
½ cup white sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean or 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon, optional

PREPARATION

1. In a medium add the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk well. Add the cream and milk and mix to incorporate all ingredients as one. Add vanilla bean and bourbon and whisk again.
2. Turn the stove on medium-low and stir consistently until the sauce has thickened. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the sauce to a bowl of ice water and cool by mixing lightly. Serve lukewarm or refrigerate and serve cold. If you serve it cold you may want to add a little more milk to thin it out. As it sets, it will thicken like pudding.

Note: When mixing, make sure to all the custard in the pan and do not stop mixing or the sauce may curdle.