Sweet custard-soaked bread, flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, bakes in your pressure cooker for twenty-five minutes. It emerges moist and flavorful, ready to be served warm, with a lovely whiskey sauce. The bread pudding was inspired by the bread pudding souffle served at Commander’s Palace, an elegant restaurant in the Garden District of New Orleans. The whiskey sauce they served over it, re-created here, was lick-off-the-spoon delicious. Try it over cake or ice cream, swirled through pudding, over pots de creme, or layered in trifle. For the bread pudding, you will need a 2-quart ceramic or metal souffle dish that fits into your pressure cooker. You will also need to make an aluminum foil sling that you can use to lower the souffle dish into the pressure cooker.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 6 cups torn egg bread
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups water

WHISKEY SAUCE:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream u cup whiskey, such as jack daniel’s, maker’s mark, or your favorite; or 1/4 cup rum
• Unsweetened whipped cream for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Coat the inside of a 2-quart souffle dish with nonstick cooking spray. Make a sling for the souffle dish (see Psst) and place the dish in the center of the sling.
2. To make the pudding: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and vanilla. Add the bread cubes, press the cubes into the custard, and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared souffle dish and drizzle with the melted butter.
3. Pour the water into the pressure cooker and arrange the trivet in the pot. Using the sling, lower the souffle dish into the pressure cooker and fold the ends over the bread pudding to keep them inside the pressure cooker. Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.
4. Release the pressure naturally and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam. Using the sling, lift the souffle dish out of the pot and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Continue cooking, without stirring, for 4 minutes, or until the sugar begins to caramelize and turn golden brown. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Add the whiskey and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. (Store any leftover sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat over low heat on the stove top.)
6. Serve the pudding warm with the whisky sauce and a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.