Kirschmichel, meaning 'cherry Michael,' is a German-style cherry bread pudding bathing in homemade vanilla sauce using real vanilla bean. Man, it's good! Serve it for dessert or with a cup of coffee in the afternoon. Although breakfast would be great, too.
![Kirschmichel and homemade vanilla sauce](https://dirndlkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DirndlKitchenKirschmichelRecipe11.jpg)
This recipe is from my cousin Anna in Basel, Switzerland, where she lives with her husband and two kids. Her preferred recipe for Kirschmichel is from a German website called "Wunderweib.de," meaning as much as "Wonder Woman" in English, and that's xactly who Anna is.
Ingredients
- 1 glass (24.7 oz / 700 g) dark Morello cherries (I like the Trader Joe's brand - they're German!)
- 7 oz (200 g) crusty white bread (I used a small, French boule from Whole Foods)
- 7 oz (200 ml) milk
- 4.5 oz (100 g) butter
- 3.5 oz (100 g) sugar
- 4 eggs
- a pinch of salt
- butter and breadcrumbs to prep baking dish
- 1 oz (25 g) butter (to be used after partial baking)
- 1 oz (25 g) brown sugar
- 1 oz (25 g) almond slivers
Homemade Vanilla Sauce:
- 17 oz (500 ml) milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 to 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 oz (30 g) sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
How to make it
- Make the Kirschmichel: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain cherries (save juice for different use). Dice the bread into ½ inch cubes and soak in milk.
- Separate the egg yolk from the whites. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt until stiff.
- In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Gradually add in egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add in the soaked bread. Carefully fold in the egg whites.
- Prepare a baking dish (I used a pie dish) by rubbing with soft butter and covering with breadcrumbs. Layer bread pudding dough and cherries, finishing with the dough. Bake for a total of 50 to 55 minutes.
- 10 minutes before the baking is finished, remove from oven, evenly distribute butter flakes, then almonds and lastly, the brown sugar. Return to oven to finish baking. Tip: If the almonds are not browned after the baking is finished, turn on broiler for a few minutes.
- To make vanilla sauce, bring 15 oz milk, sugar and scraped out vanilla bean as well as the bean itself to a boil. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch, egg yolk and remaining 2 oz of milk.
- Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the hot vanilla milk, and return to heat until boiling bubbles form. Enjoy warm or let cool before serving.
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