Aranygaluska

Step 1

Remove the crust from the brioche loaf using a serrated knife, cutting away all brown edges until only the soft white crumb remains.

Step 2

Cut the crustless bread into 1-inch cubes — hold the bread steady with one hand and use a serrated knife to slice lengthwise, then crosswise, then turn and slice perpendicular.

Step 3

Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it foams and smells nutty, about 90 seconds; you should see small brown specks on the surface.

Step 4

Add half of the bread cubes and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until every piece is coated with butter and the cubes turn light golden, about 4–5 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer the golden bread cubes to a plate using a slotted spoon, leaving any excess butter behind in the skillet.

Step 6

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and repeat step 4 with the second batch of bread cubes.

Step 7

Return all the toasted bread cubes to the skillet and sprinkle 0.5 cup of sugar evenly over them, stirring constantly until the sugar melts into a glaze, about 2 minutes.

Step 8

Transfer the sugared bread to a large mixing bowl and toss gently with the chopped walnuts until evenly distributed.

Step 9

Pour 2 cups of milk into a saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form around the edges and steam rises, about 5 minutes.

Step 10

While the milk heats, crack 5 eggs and separate the yolks into a medium mixing bowl; discard the whites or save for another use.

Step 11

Add 0.25 cup of sugar to the egg yolks and whisk together in a circular motion using a wire whisk until the mixture looks pale yellow and thick, about 2 minutes.

Step 12

Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg-sugar mixture while whisking constantly — pour in a thin stream to temper the eggs without scrambling them.

Step 13

Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out any cooked egg bits, then return to medium-low heat.

Step 14

Stir the custard constantly with a wooden spoon for 8–10 minutes until it coats the back of the spoon like heavy cream and a finger drawn across it leaves a clean line.

Step 15

Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until the flavor is distributed evenly throughout the warm sauce.

Step 16

Divide the walnut-bread mixture among 6 shallow bowls, mounding it in the center of each bowl.

Step 17

Pour the warm vanilla custard sauce over each mound of bread and walnuts until it pools around the base — about 0.33 cup per bowl.