When he and his brother were little, Evan Tate’s mother, Nancy, would cater events for the Dallas Cowboys, where famous footballers like running back Emmitt Smith would make special requests for this signature dessert.

Serves 16-20.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Evan and Melissa Tate.

INGREDIENTS

Pudding

• 1 loaf of Brioche-style bread, cubed
• 3-4 cups milk
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 2 sticks butter, sliced

Bourbon Sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• Zest of half a lemon

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a deep cast-iron pan or dish, combine milk and cubed bread. This mixture should be very wet and the amount of milk will vary slightly, depending on what kind of bread you use.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla together and pour over bread, soaking cubes.
4. Top everything with sliced butter and cinnamon.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, remove bread pudding from oven and stir to incorporate all ingredients.
7. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes.
8. With about 10 minutes left of baking, start to prepare your bourbon sauce.
9. Combine heavy cream, sugar, and butter in saucepan.
10. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, then add the bourbon and lemon zest.
11. To serve, top the warm bread pudding with the bourbon sauce and vanilla ice cream.