Jelly Donut Bread Pudding

So, a few days ago I posted about my baby doughnut muffins, and just as a reminder here they are below, in all their one inch high cuteness.

Because the recipe is for muffins that you make in your mini-muffin pan, you end up with quite a few of these little darlings. And believe me, I did my level best to eat every single one of them in the time period during which doughnuts are best, which is within 24 hours of being made. Know what I mean? There's nothing quite so sad as biting into a doughnut and realizing that it is just past its prime. The loss! The regret! The missed opportunity!

Now with these guys, I probably had about 10 or so left over. And I just couldn't bear to toss them out. The dog graciously volunteered to take them off my hands, but she's on a diet. And then I got a brainstorm. Bread pudding...but with the leftover doughnuts.

I put together a quick mixture of eggs, milk and sugar, crumbled up the doughnuts and stirred the whole thing together. When I poured it into my baking dish, there were tiny bits and pieces of jelly here and there...but not enough for me to feel totally HONEST about it being called jelly doughnut bread pudding. So I opened up the fridge and found some reinforcements.

Stonewall Kitchen to the rescue AGAIN. I took a few spoonfuls of this, swirled it around in the doughnut mixture, popped the whole thing in the oven, and a little while later...bread pudding heaven. I served it with a little vanilla ice cream, and oh yes.

Waste not, want not! Especially when it comes to anything with the word "doughnut" in it...

Jelly Donut Bread Pudding

• 4 cups torn pieces of donut
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Jelly

1. Preheat over to 375 and grease an 8x8 baking dish.

2. Mix milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together well. Combine with donut pieces and mix well. Let stand for a few minutes until the donuts have absorbed some of the milk mixture.

3. Put donut mixture into baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of jelly on top of mixture and swirl gently to barely combine.

4. Bake for 40 minutes until sides of pudding begin to brown. Serve as is or with vanilla or strawberry ice cream.

Click here for printable recipe