You're correct that the Golden Nugget's famed bread pudding was indeed allegedly made according to Steve Wynn's mom's recipe, which you can find below. Since that property has changed hands several times and is now owned by Landry's, we wondered whether the same recipe was still being served in the buffet. So, we put in a call to the Food & Beverage Dept. who confirmed that nothing's changed, and emailed us a copy of the revered recipe, and the sauce it's served with, which you can find below.
While researching this answer, we did come across an article in the R-J all about this dessert, and if you're looking for a fancier variation on the same theme, it seems that Steve took the same recipe with him to the Wynn buffet, but that by his own admission the chef there has embellished it with his own touches, including substituting regular bread with leftover croissants and brioche and adding some apricots (dried, we're guessing), as well as golden raisins. His secret, he says, is to soak the bread "a long, long, long time in the milk before I bake it in the oven" and the result is said to be Elaine Wynn's favorite.
Finally, we also found the recipe for the version served at Biloxi's Beau Rivage, another former Wynn property, which serves yet another variation in the form of the "Famous Southern Bread Pudding," which seems to be a creation of Chef Thaddeus DuBois. Take your pick!
Golden Nugget Bread-Pudding Recipe
Serves 12; Yields: one 10 x 12 pan
Ingredients: 16 oz. half and half 8 oz. whipping cream 8 eggs 1 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. vanilla 4 1/2 slices white bread 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp sugar 2 Tbls. raisins
Directions: Mix well: half and half, whipping cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Arrange bread on bottom of pan. Pour liquid mix over bread. Mix cinnamon and 1 tsp sugar together and sprinkle over bread. Spread raisins over top. Cover with foil and bake in water bath at 400 degrees for 75-90 minutes.
Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients: 8 oz. butter 1 lb. brown sugar 1/2 qt. heavy cream 1/2 cup Bourbon liquor
Directions: Melt butter and brown sugar. When it is completely melted and sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat. Add and stir heavy whipping cream Add and stir Bourbon
Beau Rivage Famous Southern Bread Pudding
Recipe requires an 8" x 8" baking pan
Ingredients: 1 quart of whole milk 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of heavy cream 10 each eggs 1 cup of sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 teaspoon grated orange peel Texas (thick) Bread, cubed and toasted Sugar mix with Cinnamon Raisins, Golden or Dark
Directions: First, cube bread and toast in the baking pan until medium dark brown at 350F. Set aside. Let cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar and raisins.
Procedure: 1. Combine milk, 1st cup of sugar and heavy cream in medium sauce pot, and bring to a boil. 2. Combine eggs, 2nd cup of sugar, vanilla, and grated orange peel; whisk smooth. Place in a medium size mixing bowl. 3. When mixture from step 1 comes to a boil, pour some of it into the eggs mixture, whisk constantly. Add the warmed egg/milk mixture back into the milk/cream mixture. 4. Pour mixture over toasted bread into baking pan and use all of the mixture. Push the bread into the custard well. 5. Baking: Uncovered at 350F in a hot waterbath for 50-55 minutes until set. 6. Let cool, cover with foil. 7. Best if served next day, slightly warmed and with whipped crean and/or whiskey sauce.
If you're interested in taking some of the flavors of Las Vegas home with you and trying your hand at recipes from our world-famous chefs, check out Reservations Required ($7.95 from ShopLVA.com), which is a gorgeously illustrated cookbook featuring dishes from some of the city's most renowned kitchens. If, on the other hand, you'd prefer to relax and let someone else do the hard work, then Eating Las Vegas lists the best dessert joints in town, not to mention the "50 essential restaurants."
