Hard Whiskey Sauce & Caramel Sauce for Bread Pudding

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

This time: two luscious sauces for last month's bread pudding!

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post. 

From Chicken One: I, of course, opted for the sauce with the liquor in it. Both these sauces are super easy, but I think the hard sauce is even easier than Chicken Two's caramel sauce over there. The whole thing takes about 5 minutes after you've gathered the ingredients. Just melt some butter and stir in some sugar, an egg yolk and some water. Once it boils, remove from heat and stir in the hard stuff. It's best warm spooned over bread pudding. No major SCAFU's to report this time, thank the Great Hen and dessert gods!

From Chicken Two:     I think this version - the Caramel Sauce - is super     easy too! The trick is NOT overcooking! Burned     caramel sauce ain't tasty! Just combine the ingredients and cook until bubbly. Be sure to stir constantly and, when the sauce looks slightly curdly, cook and stir for another 2 minutes. You'll add the vanilla after you take the pot off the heat. If you've never had warm bread pudding (yes, you can serve it over cooled pudding), you're missing a real treat! There are a couple of other sauces you can use as well such as Vanilla or Bourbon Sauce, but I invite you to use your imagination and create your own using your favorite flavors. Let us know how it turns out!

Caramel Sauce for Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup half-and-half or light cream
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Stir in half-and-half, corn syrup, and butter. Stir over medium heat until bubbly (mixture may appear curdled). Stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm or cool over bread pudding. Also great for ice cream, baked fruits or cake. Cover and chill any leftovers for up to 3 days.

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Bourbon Sauce for Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 - 2 tablespoons bourbon

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, egg yolk and water. Stir over medium-low heat 5 to 6 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Remove from heat, stir in bourbon. Serve warm over bread pudding.