Rudi’s gluten-free bread in action.

I was invited to attend Rudi’s Gluten-Free Gourmet Dining Extravaganza at Root Down, Denver, to celebrate the launch of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery.  I learned that after more than one year of trial and error, Rudi’s created a fantastic gluten-free bread that is sure to please many people in the gluten-free community.  Root Down presented us with a gluten-free gourmet feast that ended with a delicious gluten-free bread pudding.

I came home from Rudi’s Gluten-Free Gourmet Dinner at Root Down, Denver, with a loaf of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread and a recipe for the delicious bread pudding that had been served for dessert. Root Down did a great job on their bread pudding, so I was eager to re-create it using my gluten-free loaf of bread.  But, of course, I didn’t have all of the ingredients at home that Root Down used, so I altered their recipe a little and came up with something quite tasty.

First, I cut off most of the crust and cubed one loaf of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Bread for this recipe.

Here’s what I mixed up:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of sea salt

Pour the liquid mixture over the bread cubes and let it sit, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Then, add 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, mix it one more time, and pour it into a Pyrex baking dish to bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes, until it is golden brown and cooked through the center.

Be patient and let it cool. Then serve it with something creamy, like ice cream or whipped cream.  I enjoyed my gluten-free bread pudding with farm-fresh strawberries, slices of peach, and a drizzle I made with equal parts heavy whipping cream and maple syrup.

Enjoy!