Warming to a thrifty dessert

Somehow, the joys of bread pudding escaped us for decades. Our moms didn't make it, and the plain-sounding name of this dessert never enticed us to experiment.

But as comfort foods have made their comeback, we've gained appreciation for this budget-friendly dessert.

As we have tinkered with our bread puddings over the years, we've noticed a phenomenon: People who like bread pudding don't simply like it -- they're passionate about it.

Bread pudding is indeed wonderful -- something that still surprises us because it's so utterly simple. Just stir together cream, milk, sugar and eggs, and dump the whole shebang over bread cubes. Today's recipe for Banana Bread Pudding is a delicious combination of traditional bread pudding and another traditional dessert hot banana pudding.

it warm with vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce. Sign up for the free e-newsletter to have the recipe for our Amazing Fudge Sauce sent to you. Then you'll be all set for an easy, elegant and economical dessert that's guaranteed to elicit ecstasy.