Sausage-and-Maple Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
• 6 large eggs
• 1 pint vanilla or cinnamon ice cream
• melted
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons thinly sliced sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 pound brioche
• crusts removed and bread torn into 1-inch pieces (10 cups)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over moderately high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until nicely browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a bowl and let cool.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the ice cream, water, sage, salt and 1/2 cup of the maple syrup.
5. Fold in the sausage and brioche.
6. Scrape the mixture into a 9-inch square or 2-quart oval baking dish and let stand for 15 minutes.
7. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is browned and the center is set.
8. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, boil the remaining 1/2 cup of maple syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes.
9. Remove from the heat; whisk in the cream.
10. Serve the bread pudding with the maple cream.