Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding with Cherries

I’ve focused this month on recipes for the slow cooker, which is such a perfect way to prepare comforting winter dishes. My use of the slow cooker is generally for main dishes, soups or stews, or jam making occasionally, but over the years I have branched out. This recipe is the evolution of a very basic, simple slow cooker bread pudding that I made once for a special meal for friends. I wanted to make bread pudding, as it was a favorite of one guest, I had all the ingredients ready, but in the thick of the prep, I realized I wasn’t going to have the oven space. I remembered seeing a bread pudding recipe in a slow cooker cookbook and turned to that and it was the perfect solution. So over the years, I’ve altered and added to the basic idea to create numerous versions. I settled on sharing this version because it remains simple but still has flair. It’s remarkable how so few ingredients and so little effort can produce such a rich and complex dish. That’s true of bread pudding in general, but the slow cooker makes it even easier.

Canned dulce de leche adds so much to this recipe – little pockets of oozing caramel nestled in the soft bread. I find canned dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of most supermarkets. The dried cherries are the perfect tart accompaniment to the sweetness, but originally were the result of a pantry cleanout. Use any dried fruit you like – cranberries, blueberries, sliced apricots, chopped dates. A scoop of ice cream would not go amiss. I find this sweet, but not cloying and could absolutely be served for brunch.