Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1/2 pound/250 g stale brioche or bread,
  
• 4 eggs + 3 egg yolks,
  
• 4 oz/100 g chopped walnuts,
  
• 2 oz/50 g hazelnuts in powder,
  
• 1/2 vanilla bean,
  
• pinch of cinnamon,
  
• 3 cups/750 ml milk,
  
• 4 tablespoons/50 g unsalted butter + some to grease the pan,
  
• 3/4 cup/150 g sugar,
  
• 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar.

Preparation Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine milk, cinnamon and salt in a heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a knife into milk, then drop in pod. Heat milk mixture just to a boil, remove from heat, then cover and let it infuse.

3. Place sugar, the whole eggs and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl, and whisk until well incorporated. Continue to whisk while slowly pouring the hot milk into the egg mixture and whisking until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean pieces and any overcooked eggs. Add the walnuts, hazelnut powder and the bread (or brioche) cut in small pieces.

4. Butter a cake pan (8X8), and pour the mixture in it. Sprinkle butter on top. Set the pan in a roasting pan in the oven and bake in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F/180 C, and continue baking for 40 minutes more or until the top of the pudding is light golden brown.

5. Let it cool before placing on a plate and serve cold. Sift the powdered sugar over it before serving.

Wine Pairing Tips: Though a rigodon goes best with fruit jam and coffee or tea, one could serve this pudding-like dessert with white vin de liqueur, such as a Ratafia from the Champagne region or a Macvin from the neighboring Jura.