Dig into a sweet dish for peanut-butter fans

Peanut butter is a versatile ingredient that’s at home in everything from savory dishes to sweet desserts. Peanut butter also can be the hallmark of the perfect sandwich or make a great dip when paired with fruit slices or pretzel rods.

This recipe for “Honey Bun Bread Pudding With Peanut Butter-whiskey Sauce” from “Fire in My Belly” (Andrews Mcmeel Publishing, LLC) by Kevin Gillespie makes peanut butter the star of a sweet and rich sauce that dresses up storebought honey buns to make a bread pudding to tempt any sweet tooth.

Honey Bun Bread Pudding With Peanut Butter-whiskey Sauce

Serves about 8 people

Casserole

3 large eggs

11/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

9 honey buns (preferably Little Debbie brand)

1/2 butterscotch chips

1 cup Peanut Butter-whiskey Sauce (see below)

Peanut Butterwhiskey Sauce

1/2 cup cream

1⁄3 cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons high-alcohol bourbon, such as Noah’s Mill or Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year

heavy

creamy

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish.

2. In a very large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the cream, salt, and cinnamon to combine. Break the honey buns into 1-inch pieces and add to the egg mixture. Add the butterscotch chips and stir gently to combine. Pour the honey bun mixture into the baking dish and bake until puffed, golden and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. The custard will be set around the edges and the center will be a little jiggly. Remove and let rest on a rack for 15 minutes before serving.

3. To make the sauce: Heat the cream in a small heavy pot over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Whisk in the peanut butter until well blended and smooth. The peanut butter is too fatty to melt on its own; the cream stabilizes it so it won’t separate or seize. Slowly whisk in the bourbon.

4. Serve the bread pudding with the peanut butter-whiskey sauce. You could serve it without the sauce, but if you’re going to splurge, splurge.