Bread Pudding All Day

Make Halloween bread pudding with trick-or-treat candy

2009-10-29T20:45:00.002-04:00

Those Halloween goblins will soon be knocking at your door for trick-or-treat candy. If you bought more treats than you need, there may be some left over to munch on yourself. Or, for a fun and creative way to use them up, chop up some of the chocolate bars and add them to a basic bread pudding. We added a splash of brandy to the mix, then stirred in some dried cherries. After it baked to a nice golden brown on top, we served it with a dollop of whipped cream. Happy Halloween!

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Bread Pudding

2 or 3 slices bread, spread lightly with butter or margarine, and cubed (about 2 cups)
8 to 10 mini chocolate bars, chopped into chunks
1/2 cup or so dried cherries
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 large eggs, beaten with fork
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons apricot or other brandy (or vanilla extract0
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cubed bread, candy chunks from 8 mini candy bars, and dried cherries in cooking-sprayed 1-1/2-quart baking dish. Scald milk and half-and-half. In bowl, combine eggs, sugar, salt, brandy, and cinnamon. Add scalded milk slowly to egg mixture, stirring to combine. Pour liquid over bread mixture in pan. Sprinkle top with remaining candy chunks. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven 50 to 60 minutes, or until firm and browned on top. Serve warm or at room temp topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 4 to 6.
(© 2009 Recipe by Portia Little)

Bread pudding with bourbon sauce recipe comes from New Orleans

2009-07-01T20:35:00.004-04:00

When it comes to bread puddings, you can’t beat New Orleans – theirs are among the very best. So when our friend Pepe, who resides in that great city, sent us a recipe for bread pudding topped with a rich bourbon sauce, we were off to find the ingredients.

Sure enough, there in the freezer sat some Italian bread just waiting to be included in a wonderful dessert. As we waited for the bread to thaw, we gathered the other ingredients – sugar, milk, raisins, and pecans, along with the stuff that gives it such a great aroma, the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. We found some bourbon to use for the sauce, although we could have subbed some other spirit such as brandy or rum if necessary. Also, we combined the bread, raisins, and pecans in the baking dish before pouring on the liquid.

The result was a nice, puffy, browned pudding that will make a terrific dessert for tonight. In fact, if I were to choose the very best bread pudding of all, this one would rank way at the top of the list. And it has the rich flavor of great bread puddings without all the heavy cream, eggs and high-fat ingredients.

This recipe was adapted by Joe Barkson and posted to his Worldwide Recipes site from a recipe by Paul Prudhomme from his book, "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen." Thanks Pepe for giving us the heads up on this one!

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon (7 ml) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons (60 ml) butter, melted

2 cups (500 ml) milk

1/2 cup (125 ml) raisins

1/2 cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped pecans

5 cups (1.25 L) very stale French or Italian bread, with crust, cut into cubes

1 recipe bourbon sauce (see below)

Using electric mixer or wire whisk, beat eggs until extremely frothy, about 3 minutes with electric mixer, about 6 by hand. Add remaining ingredients except bread and beat until thoroughly mixed. Place bread cubes in greased oven-proof baking dish and pour egg mixture over them. Toss bread to coat with egg mixture and allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, until virtually all liquid is absorbed. Bake in preheated 300F (150C) for 45 minutes, then raise oven temperature to 424F (220C) and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until pudding is well browned and has puffed up. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with bourbon sauce. Serves 8.

Bourbon Sauce

1/2 cup (125 ml) butter

1 cup (250 ml) sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) bourbon, brandy, rum, or spirit of your choice

Combine butter, sugar, and egg in small saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens - do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat before serving. Makes about 2 cups (500 ml).
(Adapted by Joe Barkson’s recipe site, Worldwide Recipes, from "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" By Paul Prudhomme.)

Brioche bread pudding is topped with rich vanilla sauce

2009-05-17T10:35:00.003-04:00

I don’t know about you, but sometimes this dismal weather can get to you. We’ve had more than our share of dank, dreary, cool New England days this spring. A sure cure for me is a wonderful dessert such as today’s bread pudding made with chunks of rich brioche, heavy cream (don’t skimp on the good stuff, we can find our bathing suit bodies later) and the creamy European-style butter, Plugra®. I discovered this rich butter recently and I don’t know how I’ve managed to live so long without it. It's great for baking because it has a lower water content than regular butter. Use unsalted for baking and cooking, and the salted version at the table as a spread.

Top this decadent bread pudding with a vanilla butter sauce, also made with Plugra® and a whole cup of white wine, and you’re in bread pudding heaven. And thanks to my good friend Risa Golding in New Jersey for sharing this recipe.

BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING WITH PLUGRA® VANILLA SAUCE

Brioche bread pudding:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half
4 ounces granulated sugar
16 ounces chopped brioche bread, 1/4-inch size (1 day old)
8 ounces Plugra® European-Style Butter, unsalted, melted

3 ounces brown sugar

Combine heavy cream, half-and-half, and granulated sugar and set aside.
Place chopped bread in buttered baking dish.
Pour prepared liquid mixture over bread and let soak for 1 hour.
Combine melted Plugra® butter and brown sugar; set aside.
Bake at 375 degrees F., covered, in a water bath (set baking dish in larger pan of very hot water) for 1 hour. After 30 minutes baking, brush top with melted butter and brown sugar sauce mixture. Continue baking for remaining 30 minutes, uncovered.

Plugra® vanilla butter sauce:
1 cup white wine
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound Plugra® European-Style butter, unsalted, softened

In small saucepan, combine wine, sugar, and vanilla bean. Simmer to half; add heavy cream and reduce by half again. Immediately beat in half the Plugra® butter to form a creamy paste.
Over low heat, continue beating in a piece of butter at a time just as previous piece is almost fully incorporated. The sauce should have the consistency of a light hollandaise sauce.
To Serve: Spoon warm bread pudding into 3-ounce serving cups and top with sauce. Yield: 12 3-ounce servings.
(Recipe by Chef Dewey Losasso, Executive Chef/Co-Owner, North One 10 in Miami)

Brunch French toast features apples and cinnamon

2009-05-15T20:21:00.003-04:00

It’s brunch season. Time to invite family and friends over for a meal that’s hearty but not too filling. Unless you want it to be, of course. It’s a relaxed way to entertain. Set out some of your favorite dishes such as quiche, colorful fresh fruit salad, scones, ham or sausage, and good coffee. And if you’re looking for some great dishes to serve, the new cookbook, “Gale Gand’s Brunch! 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend’s Best Meal” is a terrific resource. Gand, the co-owner of Tru restaurant in Chicago, was also host of the Food Network’s “Sweet Dreams” show about baking that aired until 2008.

She says her recipe for Baked Cinnamon-Apple French Toast falls “somewhere between French toast and bread pudding,” She preps it the night before, so all she has to do in the morning is pop it in the oven. Mmmm, we can just smell the cinnamon …

BAKED CINNAMON-APPLE FRENCH TOAST
6 medium apples (use an assortment)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up into small cubes, plus more for the baking dish
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 slices Texas toast (thick presliced white bread)
8 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
Honey butter (1 stick unsalted room temperature butter with a pinch salt and 1 tablespoon honey beaten in)

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Heat butter in saute pan over medium heat until it starts to foam. Add apples and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.Lightly toast bread. Cut toast slices in half to make triangles. Butter 9x13-inch baking dish and arrange bread in two rows, overlapping in dish.
Beat eggs in medium bowl; then whisk in granulated sugar, milk and vanilla to make a custard. Pour custard over bread triangles and spoon apples over top. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.The next day, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover baking dish. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until custard is set and doesn't shimmy when you shake pan. It will puff up and brown slightly. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve in squares or large spoonfuls, with honey butter. Makes 8 servings.
(Recipe from "Gale Gand's Brunch! 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal," by Gale Gand with Christie Matheson)

Brunch sausage strata is packed with flavor

2009-05-15T18:13:00.003-04:00

Turn up the heat for breakfast by serving a Mexican sausage strata that’s easy to prep the night before and bake in the morning. This dish caught my eye because of its colorful topping, which makes for an attractive serving – the salsa of your choice. With an eye toward healthful eating, this dish can be made with whole wheat bread, skim milk, and reduced fat cheese, without sacrificing any flavor. It comes from the folks at the Better Homes & Gardens recipe site, which offers up some good reasons to cook at home.

MEXICAN SAUSAGE STRATA

Nonstick cooking spray
5 slices white or whole wheat bread, cubed
6 ounces ground turkey sausage
3 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup light dairy sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (2 ounces)
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup salsa

Coat 9- or 10-inch quiche dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread bread cubes evenly in dish. Set aside. Crumble turkey sausage into medium skillet; cook until brown. Drain off fat. Pat with paper toweling to remove excess fat. Sprinkle cooked sausage over bread cubes in quiche dish.
In medium mixing bowl beat together eggs, milk, and sour cream. Stir in Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. Pour egg mixture over sausage in quiche dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Uncover and bake in 325-degree F. oven for 35-40 minutes, or until center is set and top is golden brown. Remove from oven. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting. To serve, cut strata into wedges. Spoon some salsa on top of each serving. Makes 6 servings.
Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble strata. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking as directed above.
Nutrition facts: Cal 254, Total Fat (g) 13, Sat Fat (g) 6, Chol (mg) 134, Sodium (mg) 556, Carb (g) 17, Fiver (g) 0, Protein (g) 18. Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
(Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens online recipe site)

Stuffed French toast is Mom's Day brunch treat

2009-05-08T11:06:00.004-04:00

If you’re the cook for the Mom’s Day gathering, and also the mom, you’ll want to give yourself a break and make dishes that are both easy and delicious. Today’s stuffed French toast, which is a bread pudding wannabe, is rich with the addition of cream cheese, raisins, and fragrant cinnamon.

Calories? Not to worry. The folks at Cooking Light have made this with reduced-fat cream cheese and also egg substitute. But you can always use real eggs if that’s your preference. Make it ahead to sit in the fridge, then pop it in the oven before serving time.

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

24 (1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread

Cooking spray

3 cups 1% low-fat milk

2 cups egg substitute, divided

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

Bottled cinnamon-sugar (optional)

Trim crusts from bread. Arrange half the bread in 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine milk, 1 1/2 cups egg substitute, half-and-half, and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl, stirring with whisk. Pour half of milk mixture over bread in dish.
Combine 1/2 cup egg substitute, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cheeses in food processor or blender; process until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over moist bread in dish. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining milk mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Uncover and bake at 350° F for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 piece)CALORIES 340 (30% from fat); FAT 11.3g (sat 5.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.9g); IRON 3.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 197mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.2g; SODIUM 447mg; PROTEIN 16.7g; FIBER 1.5g

Recipe from Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2001)

Almond brownie bread pudding is chocolate decadence

2009-05-07T20:40:00.002-04:00

Got leftover brownies or chocolate cake? Well, it doesn’t happen often in this household. But we are baking extra desserts for the Mom’s Day company, so on the off chance that there might be some stale brownies hanging around afterwards, here’s one delicious way to use them up.

We got the heads up on this recipe from Betty in California, who spotted it on allrecipes.com. “It sounds decadent,” she says, and according to ‘DAUGHTERSOFDECEMBER’, who submitted the recipe to the site, it’s a “spin on bread pudding. Brownie chunks replace the bread in this rich … twist on the traditional bread pudding.”

It features not only the actual brownies, but also some chopped semisweet chocolate. Hey, there can never be too much chocolate, so we’re going to give this one a whirl.

ALMOND BROWNIE BREAD PUDDING

4 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups prepared brownies, cubed
1-1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped almonds, divided

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly butter one 2-quart baking dish.
2. Melt chocolate in microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch. Set aside.
3. Place brownie chunks into prepared baking dish. Beat eggs in large bowl. Whisk in melted chocolate, milk, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and half of almonds. Pour milk mixture over brownie cubes and sprinkle with remaining almonds. Bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
(Recipe from Allrecipes.com, submitted by DAUGHTERSOFDECEMBER)

Mom's Day Bread pudding features apricots, cherries and caramel sauce

2009-05-07T17:02:00.003-04:00

We’re back from a long vacation, just in time to celebrate Mom’s Day. Of course it wouldn’t be a holiday without some great food - a yummy feast topped off with some terrific desserts. Did we say bread pudding? Yowsa!
Today’s recipe arrived just in time to share with all our favorite moms. Who could resist this delightful pudding sent by Mary-Anne Durkee of California, who is one terrific cook and foodie, as well as a site editor for www.ifood.tv. and writer on cultures and cuisines for various media venues. This caramel-sauce-topped bread pudding recipe is chock full of dried apricots and cherries, two of our very favorite fruits. She found it in the October 1998 issue of Bon Appetit. In the user rating index, 100 percent say they'd make it again. Can’t get a much better endorsement than that.
Happy Mom’s Day to all!

BREAD PUDDING WITH DRIED APRICOTS, DRIED CHERRIES AND CARAMEL SAUCE

4 cups sugar
2-1/4 cups water
4 ounces dried apricots, thinly sliced
4 ounces dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
3 cups whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
8 large egg yolks
1-1/2 24-ounce loaves sliced white bread, crusts trimmed, each slice halved

Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water, apricots and cherries in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 20 minutes. Strain fruit; reserve fruit and soaking liquid separately.
Combine 1 cup sugar and remaining 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in 1 cup reserved soaking liquid (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until caramel thickens slightly, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup cream. Bring to boil and simmer until caramel thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool caramel sauce 30 minutes, whisking occasionally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover caramel sauce and fruit separately and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring 2 cups cream and milk to simmer in another medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk 2 cups sugar and egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in warm milk mixture. Cool custard slightly. Lightly butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange enough bread in single layer over bottom and up sides of prepared dish to cover completely, trimming bread to fit. Sprinkle reserved fruit over bread. Arrange remaining bread slices over fruit, trimming to fit and overlapping slightly.
Pour custard over bread. Press bread gently to submerge into custard. Let stand until custard is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Bake until custard is set and bread is golden brown on top, about 55 minutes.
Rewarm sauce over low heat. Serve pudding warm with sauce. Serves 8.
(Recipe from Bon Appetit , October 1998)

Winter weather brings bread pudding recipes out of hiding

2009-03-04T20:38:00.002-05:00

I’ve been double-dipping today. So chilly outside it was a great day to huddle in the kitchen and try out not just one, but two new bread pudding recipes. I’d picked up a new cookbook in Barnes & Noble the other day, and I must admit I bought it mostly because of the enticing photo of chocolate-stuffed slow-cooker French toast - a bread pudding in disguise and with chocolate too – how could I resist? Then there was the blackberry-caramel bread pudding recipe that crossed my path recently – I decided to give that one a try too. Ah, the house is smelling sooooooooooo lovely.

I’m waiting for these puddings to finish cooking, so I’ll report on them in the next blog article. But meanwhile here’s another slow-cooker recipe I can’t wait to try – it’s made with whole wheat bread, dried pears (or a combo of pears and apricots), and has some booze and a crunchy, nutty topping. Thanks to Anne and Marlene for sharing this one!

SLOW COOKED WINTER BREAD PUDDING WITH DRIED PEARS

1 loaf (about 1 pound) whole-wheat multi-grain bread, preferably stale, cut into large cubes (about 6 cups)
1 quart (4 cups) half-and-half
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
12 ounces dried pears or a combination of pears and apricots, chopped
Topping:1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed together
1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted
Whipped cream or yogurt

If bread is not stale: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread bread cubes out on baking sheet and cook until toasted, about 10 minutes. Whisk half-and-half, eggs, sugar, whiskey, vanilla, salt and nutmeg together in large bowl. Toss bread cubes and dried fruit together and place into slow cooker. Pour custard over top and press down lightly until all bread is covered with custard. Cover and cook on LOW until pudding puffs and is just set, about 3 1/2 hours. Remove insert from slow cooker and cool on rack, about 20 minutes. Spoon pudding into large cups or bowls and sprinkle each serving with cinnamon-sugar, and toasted nuts. Top with whipped cream or yogurt, if desired. Serves 8.

Mushroom sausage bread pudding masks as a "strata"

2009-03-02T11:16:00.002-05:00

March has roared in on the New England coast. Snow, wind, and cold, with the promise of more to come. Happens every year. We’d frolicked as we usually do during the tease of a few days of warm, sunny weather in late winter. But we weren’t fooled. Winter won’t really take a hike from this neck of the woods, or seashore as the case may be, until at least May. As for going out like a lamb? I’d be surprised.

So it’s time to curl up by the fire with a big helping of comfort food and perhaps some good wine to go with. Today’s dish, which calls itself a “strata,” contains some of the best ingredients to keep you warm – mushrooms, cheese, sausage, and to add a healthful note, some whole-wheat bread. We can’t ignore that fiber content because everyone’s reminding us of it these days.

What a wonderful dish this would be for breakfast, brunch, or even a main-course meal. I haven’t made it yet, but when I do, I’ll add fresh mushrooms, sautéed just slightly, instead of the canned variety. And, the packaged grated cheeses may be okay in a pinch, but for the best flavor, get some good Cheddar and Swiss, then grate your own. If you’re eager to try it, you don’t really have to refrigerate it overnight either, just an hour or so will do, before baking.

Here’s to the return of winter. We know you never really left. You were just hiding under that seaweed.

MUSHROOM SAUSAGE STRATA

1 pound pork sausage
10 slices cubed whole-wheat bread
1 (4-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook sausage and drain. Place bread cubes in greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with sausage, mushrooms and cheeses.In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees 35-45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Note: If you’re short on time, you can refrigerate for just an hour or so before baking.
(Recipe from "Hey, Good Lookin' What's Cooking? Volume 2,” a fundraising cookbook compiled by the Waverly Junior Woman’s Club of Waverly, IL, to benefit area projects.)

Bread pudding ice cream uses up the leftovers

2009-02-26T20:44:00.004-05:00

Of course there can never be too much bread pudding. But sometimes when you’ve overextended yourself and baked a humongous pudding, it’s just possible that there may be some left over.

What to do? Kristin in Canada shares this recipe for bread pudding ice cream. Which is just what the name suggests – chunks of any kind of your favorite bread pudding stirred into a likewise favorite ice cream. We tried it and it’s wonderful – you crunch down on some frozen bread pudding chunks as the creamy ice cream dissolves on your tongue. You can make your own ice cream using this recipe, or just use a good store-bought variety and mix in the bread pudding pieces, then freeze for a while. This actually reminds me of a flavor of ice cream they used to call ‘frozen pudding,’ but which is now referred to as ‘rum raisin.’ The possibilities with this treat are limited only by your imagination. They should all be as easy as this one.

BREAD PUDDING ICE CREAM

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/3 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or bourbon

1 cup cubed bread pudding

Beat eggs and sugar together for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy. Stir in milk, cream and vanilla or bourbon. Refrigerate overnight. Freeze in an ice-cream freezer following the manufacturer’s instructions. Halfway through the process, add bread pudding cubes and finish. (Recipe from "Southern Food & Plantation Houses" by Lee Bailey, 1989)

Mardi Gras bread pudding is festive dessert

2009-02-24T21:38:00.003-05:00

Supper clubs have been cropping up all over the U.S. – gatherings of folks who enjoy good food and good fellowship.

And in fact, our own special group met last weekend at a charming pre-Civil-War home in Newport, where we celebrated a Mardi Gras theme with colored beads, flowers, Hurricane cocktails, and jambalaya.

And for dessert - you knew I was getting to this – a rich and wonderful bread pudding that was made even more delightful by a topping of melted white chocolate mixed with cream. This pudding is the original creation of Chef John D. Folse, who notes that bread pudding is considered the “apple pie” of South Louisiana. He attributes the French influence with its crusty French bread, and the German population who gave a good supply of milk and eggs, to providing one of the area’s premier desserts.

So here’s a toast to Mardi Gras, and to fine food, but most of all to our extra special supper club friends!

WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

3 (10-inch) loaves French bread
4 eggs
6 egg yolks
4 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
9 ounces white chocolate

Slice French bread into 1/2-inch thick round croutons and set aside. In large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolks. Set aside. In large saucepan, combine cream, milk and sugar. Bring mixture to a low simmer then add white chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Remove pot from heat, and quickly stir in whisked eggs. Blend thoroughly to keep eggs from scrambling. In 9" x 13" baking dish, place bread slices in 2–3 layers. Pour half of cream mixture over bread. Press bread gently, allowing cream mixture to be absorbed evenly into bread. Once most of mixture has been soaked up, pour remaining cream over bread and press gently. Cover dish with foil and let soak a minimum of 5 hours prior to baking. Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake covered approximately 1 hour. Remove foil and bake 45 additional minutes or until top is golden brown. This bread pudding is best chilled in refrigerator overnight, then cut into squares and heated in individual portions in microwave. If desired, create a white chocolate sauce for topping bread pudding by combining 8 ounces melted white chocolate and 3 ounces heavy whipping cream. This may be done in a double boiler or microwave.

(Recipe from the kitchen of Chef John D. Folse, CEC, AAC)

Mushrooms star in hearty bread pudding

2009-02-19T14:36:00.003-05:00

Okay, time to put a lid on all those Valentine’s Day sweets. Enough already! Now we must consider some foods that don’t contain sugar. Yes, we must. And believe it or not, we do have other favorites besides chocolate. So today we’re going to whip up a dish that’s full of a very special ingredient, the mushroom. You can never have enough of these heavenly critters, if you ask me, and this one is bursting with earthy creminis, those hearty although younger, smaller cousins of the portabellas. This pudding hits all the comfort food buttons on a cold New England day in February. Nice for a main dish or lunch offering, along with some crisp salad greens.

Thanks to Kristin Molnar of Canada who gave us the heads-up on this wonderful recipe that comes from Every Day with Rachael Ray. You can always count on Rachael for a recipe that’s delicious and not too time consuming.

CHEESY MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Two 6-ounce packages cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves, garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in bread cubes and let soak for 10 minutes. Stir in mushroom mixture and mozzarella. Transfer to greased 1-1/2-quart baking dish; sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan on top. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Serves 4. Prep time: 30 minutes. Bake time: 45 minutes.
(Recipe by Christina Stanley-Salerno on Every Day with Rachael Ray, February 2009. Photo by Kana Okada.)

Valentine's Day bread pudding says "I love you"

2009-02-14T17:41:00.004-05:00

I think I spotted every male over the age of 12 out shopping for Valentine’s Day – puzzling over cards, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and cuddly teddy bears. And in the kitchen we’re planning our own feast – a decadent chocolate bread pudding, flavored with Kahlua, and the ever-popular Valentine’s Day chocolate. This is healthier for your sweetie than many of those ultra-rich desserts too. Made with reduced-fat milk and just one egg, the recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine, and the flavor is superb!!!

If you can’t find Hawaiian bread, which is a soft sweet bread, you can substitute a good egg bread, such as challah.

Here’s to chocolate, and romance, and happy Valentine’s Day!!

CHOCOLATE CHUNK BREAD PUDDINGS

1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed Hawaiian sweet bread

2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange bread cubes in single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in medium bowl, stirring well with whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.
Place ramekins in 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping. Yield: 2 servings.

CALORIES 319 (30% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 5.2g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 121mg; CALCIUM 125mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.3g; SODIUM 141mg; PROTEIN 9.8g; FIBER 2.1g

(Recipe from Cooking Light, January 2003. Photo by Becky Luigart-Stayner; styling by Lydia DeGaris-Pursell)

Vanilla chai bread pudding is easy and delicious

2009-02-09T20:49:00.004-05:00

One of my most favorite places to shop for food in the whole wide world is Trader Joe’s. Whenever I get up to Massachusetts I stop in the Trader’s in Framingham, where I load up my cart. So when I came across this bread pudding I knew it had to be great, flavored with Trader’s chai mix.

Using chai tea and also agave nectar in a bread pudding is also a neat and original idea. It was posted on the Cooking with Trader Joe’s blog by Deana Gunn, under the vegetarian and vegan recipes. Ahhh, I can just smell the wonderful aroma … sigh …

VANILLA CHAI BREAD PUDDING

A little more than 1/2 of a 1-lb challah loaf cubed into 1/2-inch chunks (about 6 cups worth)

3 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons Spicy Chai Latte Mix powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup agave nectar

You will also need six 6-ounce ramekins (These are the smaller size ones which are 3.5 inch diameter)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.Place cubed bread in medium sized bowl.

3. In separate bowl, combine eggs, cream, powder, vanilla, and agave. Whisk together until mixture is smooth and all powder has dissolved.

4. Pour mixture over bread and let it soak for 10 minutes. Do not stir since that will create a mush. Once or twice, using large spoon or spatula, gently flip some of the bread over so that mixture soaks in evenly.

5. Fill each well-buttered or oiled ramekin with some of the bread. Press gently to compact slightly.

6. Place ramekins in baking dish and fill baking dish with hot water until water is halfway up sides of ramekins.

7. Place in oven (carefully!), drape with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes until bread pudding is firm in center.

8.Pop out of ramekin if desired. Serve warm with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or drizzle with chocolate sauce. (Note from Deana Gunn: In the photos, I garnished it with a piece of candied ginger.

(Recipe posted by Deana Gunn on the blog, Cooking with Trader Joes, 2009)

Chocolate bread pudding souffles are low-cal Valentine goodies

2009-02-09T09:50:00.003-05:00

We must serve something chocolate for Valentine’s Day. That’s a given. Choosing from a long list of delectable treats is a problem. Well, of course we could solve it by making them all. And high on our agenda is today’s recipe for these lovely soufflés that are not only special, but also low in calories.

Thanks to Betty in California for sharing this recipe, and also to the Betty Crocker Test Kitchens for coming up with it. They suggest serving these desserts as soon as they come out of the oven.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING SOUFFLES

Nonstick cooking spray
Sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups dry French bread cubes (crusts removed)
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons sugar

1. To attach foil collars to eight 5-ounce soufflé dishes, fold eight 12x4-inch strips of foil in half lengthwise. Lightly coat one side of each strip with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Place collars around ungreased soufflé dishes, sugar side toward center, extending 1 inch above dishes. Secure with tape or piece of 100-percent-cotton string. Set soufflé; dishes aside.
2. In medium bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon; add 2/3 cup milk and vanilla. Stir in bread cubes; set aside.
3. In small saucepan melt margarine or butter. Stir in flour. Add remaining 2/3 cup milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. In large mixing bowl beat egg yolks for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually stir in flour mixture; stir in bread mixture.
4. Wash beaters thoroughly. In large mixing bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold bread mixture into beaten egg whites. Divide among prepared soufflé dishes.
5. Bake in 350 degrees F; oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted near centers comes out clean. Serve immediately. Makes 8 soufflés.
CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 23
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Servings: 8 soufflés Calories 153 Total Fat (g) 4 Saturated Fat (g) 1 Monounsaturated Fat (g) x Polyunsaturated Fat (g) x Cholesterol (mg) 81 Sodium (mg) 137 Carbohydrate (g) 23 · Total Sugar (g) x Fiber (g) 0 Protein (g) 6 Vitamin A (DV%) 16 Vitamin C (DV%) x Calcium (DV%) Iron (DV%) Diabetic Exchanges Starch (d.e.) 1.5 Fat (d.e.) .5
(Recipe from Betty Crocker Test Kitchens)

Simple bread pudding brings memories back

2009-02-04T20:48:00.004-05:00

I have just finished the book, “The Tenth Muse, My Life in Food,” by Judith Jones, a memoir from the legendary editor who published Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. With its down-to-earth approach to both food and people, this book provides a wonderful history of American gastronomy, including Jones’ publishing experiences with James Beard, M.F.K Fisher, Edna Lewis, and Lidia Bastianich, to name just a few culinary luminaries.

And, ta tum, Jones is also a huge fan of bread pudding! Ya just gotta love this woman!

In the back of her book, Jones provides a selection of recipes, including one that she calls simply, “Bread Pudding.” She mentions having a bread pudding at a country inn in Wales that brought back memories of puddings she’d had in her childhood. As she talks about the “hot raisins bursting in my mouth, the sensation … so powerful that the tears rolled down my cheeks (adding a little salty flavor,” you have to marvel at her descriptive qualities.

We made the pudding from the recipe in the book and it was indeed delightful, in the way that basic bread puddings are. And this one had the added charm of a hint of lemon, from both freshly grated lemon rind, and also lemon juice. It’s one of those classic bread puddings that will stand the test of time. I used Italian bread slices in this recipe and did not remove the crusts.

Jones provides hints to go along with many of her recipes, such as the one for this dish that she says she found when working with Edna Lewis: “I discovered … how much better crushed sugar cubes are than plain granulated sugar as a topping. They’re particularly good if you’ve stored them in a jar with a vanilla bean.” She also comments that she’s had bread pudding “for breakfast straight from the fridge.” Now there’s a gal after my own heart.

BREAD PUDDING
(a favorite of Judith Jones, from her book, The Tenth Muse, My Life in Food)

2-1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, plus a little for buttering the dish
3 slices homemade-type bread, crusts removed, crumbled to make 1-1/2 cups
1/2 cup raisins
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
About 4 gratings of nutmeg (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Topping: crushed sugar cubes, to make about 2 tablespoons
For serving: heavy cream

Heat the milk with the butter, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat, stir in the crumbled bread, raisins, grated lemon rind, and lemon juice, and let cool to lukewarm. Separate the eggs, and beat the yolks into the milk and butter along with the sugar. Beat the whites in a clean bowl until they form soft peaks, and fold them into the pudding mixture. Season with nutmeg, and turn into a lightly buttered shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the crushed sugar cubes on top. Set the dish in a pan of simmering water, and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour. Serve warm with a pitcher of heavy cream.
(From The Tenth Muse, My Life in Food, by Judith Jones, 2007)

Jelly doughnut bread pudding is Valentine's Day red

2009-02-01T14:25:00.003-05:00

In addition to bread pudding and chocolate, what really makes my mouth water is a jelly doughnut. Or actually more than one jelly doughnut. So when I saw this recipe for Jelly Doughnut Pudding, of course I was intrigued. It was posted by Alex Witchel in The New York Times this past week, and thanks to Nancy Mosher of New York for alerting me to the article.

On a richness scale, this one scores as close to a Ten as you can get, with heavy cream, eggs and egg yolks, and of course the doughnuts themselves. We’d like to try it, but there’s usually not a crumb left when we have jelly donuts in the house. It does sound very pretty for Valentine’s Day, however, with alternating layers of sliced donuts and custard.

JELLY DOUGHNUT PUDDING
(Time: About 2 1/2 hours)

3 1/2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
8 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
14 jelly doughnuts, preferably filled with raspberry jam
Butter, for greasing pan

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Fill a kettle with water and place over high heat to bring to a boil. In a large mixing bowl, combine cream, milk, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Whisk to blend.
2. Using a serrated knife, gently slice doughnuts from top to bottom in 1/4-inch slices. Butter a 9-by-12-inch baking pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour about 1/2 inch of the cream mixture into pan. Arrange a layer of sliced doughnuts in pan, overlapping them slightly. Top with another layer, pressing them down slightly to moisten them. Top with a small amount of cream mixture.
3. Arrange 2 more layers of sliced doughnuts, and pour remaining liquid evenly over top. Press down gently to moisten. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover pan tightly with foil, and place in a larger pan. Fill larger pan with boiling water until three-quarters up the side of pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour 50 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Turn off oven, open door slightly, and leave in oven for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
(Recipe posted by Alex Witchel in The New York Times, January 28, 2009)

Chocolate-cherry bread pudding is for Valentine's Day

2009-01-31T20:55:00.004-05:00

Who couldn’t help notice, starting right after the Christmas holidays, the profusion of red stuff peeking out from shelves in supermarkets, pharmacies, and book stores? We’d hardly had time to put the decorations away when we were bombarded with another reason to celebrate.

But now we’re getting in the mood for Valentine’s Day, which will be here before we know it. For me, the best part of that day is that it’s one more opportunity to feast on chocolate. (Not that we need a reason…) Chocolate kisses wrapped in red foil, assorted chocolates in a big red heart box, and those chocolate covered cherries doused in a lovely liqueur. Just for starters.

So when I spotted this recipe recently, it had Valentine’s Day written all over it. This bread pudding is made from rich croissants, and the custard is studded with chocolate chips and cherries – who could resist this special sweet? It’s from a wonderful cookbook by the name of Upper Crusts - Capital Lifestyles by Sheilah Kaufman, culinary instructor and author of 25 cookbooks. Subtitled: Fabulous Ways to Use Bread. So of course she had to include bread pudding!

In the next few posts, in addition to some other great puddings, we hope to bombard you with recipes for luscious bread puddings to serve for Valentine’s Day. And they just might include chocolate. Here’s to sweet romance!!

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

1 teaspoon butter
3 stale croissants
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon Cassis or vanilla extract

Generously butter a 9x9-inch baking dish.
Cut croissants into 1/2-inch pieces (as best you can) and scatter cubes, chips and cherries into prepared dish.In large bowl, whisk together sugar, cream, eggs and Cassis until sugar dissolves. Pour sugar/cream mixture through sieve into prepared baking dish. Gently push down cubes so that they absorb egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.*
Preheat oven to 350°.
Bake for 30 minutes or until center is puffy and golden. Serve hot.
* If in a rush, skip chilling. Instead pour only half the egg mixture in, push down to absorb; wait 5 minutes before pouring on some more but not all, leaving tops of cubes just above the liquid line. Serves 6.
Approximate nutrients per serving: calories, 395; protein 6 g; carbohydrates, 36 g; fat, 26 g; cholesterol, 144 mg; sodium; 188 mg.
(From Upper Crusts - Capital Lifestyles by Sheilah Kaufman, © 2007)

Pineapple bread pudding is tropical delight in January

2009-01-15T20:31:00.002-05:00

It’s snowing like crazy here. The wet flakes sting your face, and the wind takes your breath away, and your fingers tingle inside your gloves. When ‘the weather outside is frightful,’ as the old song goes, we dream of far-off lands where the sun shines, and the beaches beckon, and the skies are blue. We can only picture ourselves on a Hawaiian island, sampling the luscious tropical fruits. But instead we'll have to settle for a fragrant pineapple bread pudding. Today’s recipe comes from a couple of gals who live where you don’t have to wear layers of thick clothing and heavy boots each time you venture out - Anne in Texas, and Marlene in Arizona.

They got this recipe from a friend in Maine who claims “this one is sure to please, and has flavors to rave about, and has less fat and calories than you would imagine, and is fit for you and is fit for yours.” It doesn’t get much better than that. And anyone in Maine is probably fantasizing about warmer climates now also. Ayup.

PINEAPPLE BREAD PUDDING

6 slices raisin, white, wheat, or oatmeal bread, cut in cubes
1 can (about 15-ounce) pineapple with syrup, cut-up (can use sugar-free)
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar( can use sugar substitute, or half and half sugar and sugar substitute)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2-quart glass baking pan heavily. Add bread cubes. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid. Add pineapple and raisins to bread mixture. Beat eggs with buttermilk, sugar, spices, vanilla, salt, and reserved pineapple juice. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover and bake 1/2 hour. Turn down heat to 350 degrees F. and bake 20 minutes longer, uncovered, or until pudding is set and tests done. Serves 4.
(310 calories per serving provided you use sugar substitute and fat-free products)

Honey oatmeal bread makes superb bread pudding

2009-01-14T21:42:00.004-05:00

In honor of January being Wheat Bread Month (who invents these things anyhow?), we’re including a recipe for a special bread made with oatmeal, honey, and whole wheat flour. Not that we need a reason to post this recipe, which we made into a glorious bread last week. We’ve been enjoying it toasted and topped with butter, sliced thin for sandwiches, and in the Morning Glory Muffin bread pudding, which was the topic of yesterday’s article.

The King Arthur Whole Grain Baking cookbook, the source of the recipe, describes the loaf as “moist and relatively close-textured, perfect for sandwiches.” The recipe also suggests a cinnamon-swirl filling, but we think it’s great just as is. No frills or fancy stuff. I didn’t add the chopped nuts either.

And, in the interests of buying local - for the honey I used 100 percent pure honey that’s gathered and bottled and sold right here in our little seashore island town. In fact, it comes from my neighbor across the street. Now you can’t get more local than that! They call it ‘The Perfect Swarm’ and it’s lovely. Wish they could bottle the aroma also.

HONEY-OATMEAL SANDWICH BREAD

1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) boiling water
1 cup (3-1/2 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
1 cup (4 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour
1-2/3 cups (7 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup (1-7/8 ounces) finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place boiling water, oats, butter, salt and honey into medium bowl, stir, and let mixture cool to lukewarm.
Mix remaining dough ingredients with oat mixture, and knead – by hand, mixer, or bread machine – until you’ve made a soft smooth dough. Place dough in lightly-greased bowl, cover it, and let rise for 1 hour; the dough should be doubled in bulk.
Lightly grease 9x5-inch loaf pan. Gently deflate dough – it will be sticky, so oil your hands – and shape into 9-inch log. Place in prepared pan. Cover gently with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and allow to rise till it’s crowned 1-1/2-inches over rim of pan, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Near end of bread’s rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Uncover and bake bread for about 45 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Bread is done when golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190 degrees F. Remove from oven, and after a minute or so turn out onto rack. Brush with melted butter, if desired; this will keep crust soft. Cool bread completely before cutting.

Bread pudding is morning glory muffin wannabe

2009-01-13T20:53:00.003-05:00

In a creative frame of mind? We had fun today making up a bread pudding version of our favorite breakfast goodie, the Morning Glory Muffin. We took a basic recipe and ran with it, adding golden raisins, coconut, grated carrots, pecans, sunflower seeds, and spices to some leftover whole wheat bread made with honey and oatmeal. We’d made the bread the other day from a recipe in the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking cookbook. (And trust me, this bread is so good, that not much is EVER left over. I’ll post the bread recipe tomorrow in the My Favorite Bread Recipes section of this blog.)

If I say so myself (no modesty genes kicking in here…), this is one of the very best bread puddings I’ve ever had. Do you hear an echo? Have I said this before? You betcha! I plan to enjoy it for dessert tonight, and there’s a good chance I’ll munch on it with my morning coffee tomorrow.

Ingredient details: You can use whatever kind of milk or cream you have on hand. I used one percent milk, and believe it or not, the results were incredibly rich. I’d suggest using a dense bread for this recipe, rather than a soft commercial bread, for a more muffin-like texture.

MORNING GLORY BREAD PUDDING

2 slices dense whole wheat bread or oatmeal bread, buttered and cubed (1-1/2 to 2 cups)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup peeled and grated carrots
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash salt

In greased or cooking-sprayed 1-1/2-quart baking dish (or square glass pan) combine bread cubes, raisins, coconut, chopped nuts, grated carrots, and sunflower seeds. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add brown sugar, vanilla, spices, and salt; whisk to combine. Pour over bread mixture and press bread down into liquid. Let stand while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until pudding is set. Serves 6 to 9, depending on size of portions. Top with cream cheese icing if desired, or whipped topping of choice.
(Recipe developed by Portia Little © 2009)

Chocolate bread pudding is always in season

2009-01-12T16:42:00.003-05:00

So enough of the diet already! We’re sick and tired of watching our calories. We need CHOCOLATE. No frills or fancy stuff. Just any good chocolate will do. Preferably of the darker sweet variety, but hey we’re not picky – we’ll accept whatever falls onto our path. Or candy dish as the case may be.

And a very, although belated, Happy New Year to all my friends in Bread Pudding Land! Thanks so much to all of you who’ve contributed so many wonderful recipes and also made comments. To celebrate the New Year, and also our chocolate craving, here’s a recipe for chocolate bread pudding that swims in a scrumptious bourbon pecan caramel sauce. If we’re going to dive in, this is where we want to be. The pudding has almost a fudge texture. Need we say more?
Thanks to Pepe in New Orleans for suggesting this great bread pudding!

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON-PECAN CARAMEL SAUCE

Sauce ingredients:
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-1/4 cups whipping cream
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons bourbon

Pudding ingredients:
2 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup sugar
8 oz. Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (1 lb.) unsliced egg bread, crusts removed, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions for sauce:
Stir sugar and water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Mix in corn syrup and lemon juice. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally. Remove from heat. Pour in cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until caramel is melted and smooth. Increase heat; boil until sauce is reduced to 1-2/3 cups, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in pecans and bourbon. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before using.)
Directions for pudding:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine milk, cream, and sugar in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth. Beat eggs and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture. Add bread cubes. Let stand until bread absorbs some of custard, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Transfer mixture to 13x9x2-inch dish. Cover with foil. Bake until set in center, about 45 minutes. Uncover, cool at least 15 minutes. Serve pudding warm or at room temperature with warm sauce.
(Recipe by Chef Alison Barshak, chef/owner of Alison at Blue Bell, a suburban Philadelphia bistro)

Basic bread pudding is great start to the new year

2009-01-12T13:21:00.002-05:00

January seems to bring out the “let’s pick up the mess from last year” kind of thinking. We’re sorting out closets, tossing out as much as we can part with. But certainly NOT bread pudding recipes. They seem to be growing like piles of New England snow here in the kitchen. We’re making room on our shelves for even more – ones we’ve clipped from magazines, books, and pamphlets, and printed out from the Internet.

It’s time also to get back to the basics – apple crisp, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese. And before we take off on some tangents with new and creative bread puddings, it’s time to check out a basic recipe. That’s where it all begins – then you can toss in handfuls of this and that (fruit, nuts, marshmallows, butterscotch sauce, spices, and yes, of course, chocolate). Here’s a basic formula that you can use to take off and have fun with. We’re talking sweet bread pudding here. If you’d like to create a hearty non-sweet bread pudding, you can just eliminate the sugar or sweetener, and add some cheese, veggies, or other hearty ingredients.

And if you’d like to add or subtract from the basic, well that’s the whole idea. For a more custardy bread pudding, which is the kind I prefer actually, just increase the ratio of liquids to solids. And of course, do the reverse, more bread and “stuff” and fewer wet ingredients for a denser pudding. The kind of bread you use makes a difference too – a denser grainy bread, such as wheat or rye, will take longer to absorb the liquid, so you might want to let it sit for a while before baking. Have fun!

BASIC BREAD PUDDING

4 cups (about) cubed day-old bread
1/2 to 3/4 cup of fruit, nuts, or whatever you’d like to add
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon ground spice such as cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
Sugar/cinnamon mix

Place bread cubes along with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of any fruit (and/or other ingredients such as nuts) in greased or cooking-sprayed 1-1/2-quart baking dish. In bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Add milk and cinnamon (or preferred spice) and whisk in to blend well. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread, pushing down bread into liquid. Dot with slivers of butter, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon, if desired. Let stand while preheating oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or topping of choice. Serves 6.
Note: For a non-sweet bread pudding, eliminate the sugar and cinnamon, and add your favorite hearty ingredients, such as cheese, veggies, and meat.
(Recipe developed by Portia Little © 2009)

Low-cal bread pudding features ham, spinach and Gruyere cheese

2009-01-09T20:56:00.004-05:00

After we catch our breath from the holiday hoopla, we plan to give a brunch party, inviting some neighbors and friends who we didn’t get to see last month. And knowing that people are watching their calories, we’re on the lookout for recipes that won’t strain the waistline, but are still full of flavor.

Today’s recipe is at the top of our list. No reason not to keep on feasting, even when trying to trim calories. And believe it or not, today’s dish, rich as it looks, has only 276 calories per serving. Yay!

Excerpted from The EatingWell Diet book, this pudding features whole grain bread and egg whites along with whole eggs, thus cutting down on the number of high-cholesterol yolks. The diet gurus suggest using a high-quality ham, which “infuses the pudding with a smoky flavor.” The aroma is divine, enhanced with Dijon mustard and fresh rosemary along with roasted red peppers. The Gruyere is used as a topping.

I bet the brunch crowd won’t believe this dish is a bread pudding!

HAM, GRUYERE & SPINACH BREAD PUDDING

4 large egg whites
4 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)
5 cups chopped spinach, wilted (see tip)
1 cup diced ham steak (5 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped, jarred roasted red peppers
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 11x7-inch glass baking dish or 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
2. Whisk egg whites, eggs and milk in medium bowl. Add mustard, rosemary and pepper; whisk to combine.
3. Toss bread, spinach, ham and peppers in large bowl. Add egg mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil.
4. Bake until custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until pudding is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
To make ahead: Prepare pudding through step 3; refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temp; while oven preheats. Bake as directed.
Tip for wilting greens: Rinse greens thoroughly. Transfer to large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and punch several holes in it. Microwave on High until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze out any excess moisture from greens before adding to recipe.
(Per serving: 276 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 169 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 21 g protein; 3 g fiber; 746 mg sodium; 422 mg potassium)
(Recipes from The EatingWell Diet, © 2007 by Eating Well, Inc. Countryman Press. Order the book from Countryman Press, or call 1-800-245-4151.)

Banana eggnog bread pudding is low-cal, believe it or not

2009-01-07T20:25:00.002-05:00

No one enjoyed bread pudding more than our good friend and cookbook author JoAnna Lund, who created so many luscious recipes that are also low in fat, sugar, calories, and cholesterol. In fact, she remarked about this recipe: “I never saw a dessert disappear so fast as when I was testing this one!”

Can’t beat that kind of endorsement!
This is for those who are still in a holiday eggnog kind of mood.

BANANA EGGNOG BREAD PUDDING WITH RUM SAUCE

2 4-serving packages JELL-O sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/2 teaspoons rum extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 slices reduced-calorie white bread, cubed
1 cup (1 medium) sliced banana
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar Twin
1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. spray 8x8-inch baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray. In large saucepan sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, combine 1 package dry pudding mix and 2-1/2 cups skim milk. Add raisins. Mix well to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon rum extract and nutmeg. Add bread cubes and banana. Mix gently to combine. Spread bread mixture into prepared pan.
Bake 35-45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. In medium saucepan, combine remaining package dry pudding mix, remaining 1-1/2 cups skim milk, and Brown Sugar Twin. Mix well to combine. Let set until 5 minutes before bread pudding has completely baked. Then, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and starts to boil. Lower heat. Add margarine and remaining 1 teaspoon rum extract. Mix to combine. Continue cooking on low until bread pudding has completed baking, stirring occasionally. Remove baking dish from oven and cut warm bread pudding into 6 servings. For each serving, place piece of bread pudding on serving dish and spoon about 1/4 cup warm rum sauce over top. Serves 6.
Each serving equals: 233 Calories; 1 g Fat; 12 g Protein; 44 g Carbohydrate; 427 g Sodium; 1 g Fiber.
Diabetic exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1 Skim Milk.
(Recipe from Cooking Healthy with a Man in Mind by JoAnna Lund, 1997)

Berry bread pudding is low-cal new-year sweet

2009-01-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

I want on a baking binge during the holiday season. Breads, cakes, pies, cookies, and of course bread pudding too. We’re just finishing up the last tin of Christmas cookies. So it’s time for the “D” word. As in “dreaded,” “despicable,” and “disgusting.” We’re referring to the Diet, of course. Time to work on shedding those extra pounds. Not easy, especially when you enjoy baking and sweets as much as I do.

We took out our “lite” and low-cal cookbooks that sit on the shelf and whose pages rarely see the light of day. And surprisingly there were a bunch of great-looking bread puddings. So here goes. Today’s recipe, which is fragrant with fresh strawberries, raspberries, and spices, comes from Lighthearted Everyday Cooking by Anne Lindsay. The author says she likes this dessert because “it isn’t too sweet or rich but has fabulous flavor.” She suggests topping each serving with a spoonful of Quick Lemon Yogurt Sauce, the recipe for which is included below.

While this recipe calls for soft margarine, unless it’s the healthful non-hydrogenated kind, I’d opt to use real butter because of the trans-fats issue.

BERRY BREAD PUDDING

Half a large loaf French bread
1-1/2 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg and cinnamon
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup raspberries
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon soft margarine (non-hydrogenated)

Tear bread into 1-inch pieces to make 6 cups. In bowl, combine milk, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon; stir in bread and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in strawberries, raspberries, and eggs.
Meanwhile, in 8-inch square baking dish, melt margarine in 350-degree F. oven; swirl to cover bottom of pan. Pour in batter. Bake for 40 minutes or until puffed and browned. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.
(Per serving without lemon yogurt sauce: 298 calories; 6 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 2 g fiber)
(Recipe from Lighthearted Everyday Cooking by Anne Lindsay, 1994)

QUICK LEMON YOGURT SAUCE

3/4 cup low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Grated rind 1 lemon

In small bowl, combine yogurt, sugar and lemon rind. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes 3/4 cup.
(Per 2-tablespoon serving: 36 calories; trace grams of total fat, saturated fat, and fiber; 2 mg cholesterol)
(Recipe from Lighthearted Everyday Cooking by Anne Lindsay, 1994)

Low-fat pumpkin bread pudding is one solution to holiday over-indulgence

2008-12-12T21:27:00.002-05:00

Trying to diet during the holidays seems hopeless. Who can resist the extra-rich treats we’re exposed to at dinners, parties, and even when we’re out and about? So to lighten up a bit, we’re offering today’s recipe for low-fat pumpkin bread pudding, which was developed by Fiona Haynes for the About.com Guide to Low-fat Cooking. She enjoys finding ways to lighten recipes while still keeping them flavorful. In addition to developing hundreds of low-fat recipes, Fiona also writes two weekly healthy-eating newsletters.

While Fiona does prefer this dish with raisins, she suggests using dried cranberries as an alternative. Says Fiona: “One of our favorite ways of eating this pudding is with a drizzle of good-quality maple syrup, which is why this dessert would also make a pretty good brunch dish.” A great idea for these cool-weather days.

LOW-FAT PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING
(Fiona Haynes)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

1 10.5 ounce day-old baguette
2 cups fat-free half and half
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
3/4 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 11 X 7 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut baguette into 1 inch slices, then into cubes. Place in large bowl and cover with half and half, tossing bread cubes to allow liquid to soak in.
In medium bowl, combine beaten eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and spices. Add to bread mixture with raisins and blend well. Pour into baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes.
Serves 8.
Per Serving: Calories 286, Calories from Fat 29, Total Fat 3.2g (sat 1.2g), Cholesterol 56mg, Sodium 335mg, Carbohydrate 57.2g, Fiber 1.9g, Protein 7g
(Recipe by Fiona Haynes on About.com Low-fat Cooking)

Chocolate bread pudding is rich treat for the holidays

2008-12-12T20:40:00.003-05:00

One thing’s for sure – you can depend on recipes you get from America’s Test Kitchen. So when I found this recipe I knew it had to be good. Their mission is to test recipes, understand how they work, and arrive at the best version.

And you can’t go wrong with ingredients such as challah bread, cream, cocoa, and semi-sweet chocolate. For those who don’t have time to do it all in one day, they suggest prepping the bread mixture and refrigerating it overnight, then baking the next day.

The folks at America’s Test Kitchen found that with the melted chocolate, the base was so thick that it wasn’t fully soaking into the bread. So to thin out the base, they soaked the toasted challah in a mixture of heavy cream, milk, and cocoa powder before adding in rich custard made with melted chocolate, egg yolks, cream, and sugar. They also suggest that you drizzle a bit of reserved chocolate sauce (melted chocolate and cream) over the warm bread pudding after it comes out of the oven. It’s important to use Dutch-based cocoa in this recipe. Natural cocoa powder will make the bread pudding too bitter.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
Serves 12.

1 (12-inch) loaf challah, cut into 12-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
4 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 cup sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
10 large egg yolks

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees F. Toast bread on baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
2. Increase oven temp to 325 degrees F. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. Heat 1-1/2 cups cream, milk, cocoa, espresso, and 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming and sugar dissolves. Pour warm cream mixture over toasted bread and let stand, tossing occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring additional 1 cup cream to simmer in saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until smooth. Transfer 1 cup chocolate mixture to medium bowl and let cool 5 minutes (cover pan and reserve remaining chocolate mixture for serving). Add egg yolks, remaining cream, and sugar to bowl with chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
4. Transfer soaked bread mixture to prepared pan and pour chocolate custard mixture evenly over bread. Bake until pudding is just set and surface is slightly crisp, about 45 mijnutes. Let cool 30 minutes. Warm reserved chocolate mixture over low heat, then pour over bread pudding. Serve. (Leftover bread pudding should be refrigerated; reheat individual portions in microwave.)
Make ahead: In step 4, once soaked bread mixture has been transferred to prepared pan, the pan can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. When ready to bake, remove plastic and proceed with recipe as directed, increasing baking time to 55 to 60 minutes. Let reserved chocolate serving sauce cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Heat sauce in microwave when needed.
(Recipe 2008, America’s Test Kitchen; Cookscountry.com)

Buttery bourbon sauce tops bread pudding that's healthier

2008-12-10T20:56:00.003-05:00

Watching calories this time of year? Ha! That’s some kind of joke.

But occasionally a great-sounding recipe comes up that’s a healthier version of a traditional rich sweet. Bread pudding topped with a buttery bourbon sauce? Healthy? Well actually this version, made with Smart Balance® products – the Butter Blend stick, and also their fat-free milk – as well as whole grain bread, is lower in fat than the traditional hi-cal dessert. It’s delicious too, laced with dried cranberries and with the scent of cinnamon and vanilla.

This pudding would be a great ending to a holiday party, or just to snack on while wrapping those gifts.
And, please note, I have no relationship with the company that produces Smart Balance® products.
So there.

BREAD PUDDING WITH BUTTERY BOURBON SAUCE

Base:
1-1/2 tablespoons Smart Balance® butter Blend Stick, melted
2 cups Smart Balance™ Fat-Free Milk*
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 ounces multigrain or whole wheat Italian bread, torn in small pieces

Sauce:
1/4 cup Smart Balance® Butter Blend Stick
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Smart Balance™ Fat-Free Milk*
3 tablespoons bourbon or apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 11x7-inch glass baking dish with Smart Balance® cooking spray; add 1-1/2 tablespoons melted Smart Balance® Butter Blend Stick and set aside.
2. Combine milk, eggs, egg white, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder in large bowl. Whisk until well blended. Add bread and cranberries; gently stir to allow mixture to absorb slightly (do not over mix).
3. Pour mixture into baking dish and bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients, except vanilla, in small saucepan; place over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
5. Cut bread pudding into 8 pieces, place on dessert plates, and spoon sauce evenly over all.
Makes 11x7-inch bread pudding plus 1/2 cup sauce total. Serves 8 (about 2-1/2-inch by 3-1/2-inch pieces plus 1 tablespoon sauce per serving.
*Smart Balance™ Fat-Free Milk is available in Florida and Georgia.

Chocolate bread pudding season is here!

2008-12-09T17:38:00.004-05:00

There are those of us who just can’t get enough chocolate. We celebrate this time of year when we can indulge in our favorite desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, and sauces. Guilt trip? We’ll deal with that tomorrow.

Use a good brand of semi-sweet chocolate to add to these cute little puddings that are baked in individual ramekins. Make the cappuccino sauce ahead of time and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to let the little darlings swim in the sauce on the plate. The folks at Chocolatier magazine suggest the option of topping them off with a chocolate sorbet. But I like them just as is with the sauce. Not that there could ever be too much chocolate …

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH CAPPUCCINO SAUCE
Yield: 8 servings

Chocolate bread pudding:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 slices fresh firm-textured white bread, such as Pepperidge Farm, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, to yield approximately 3 1/2 cups

Cappuccino Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Chocolate sorbet for garnish (optional)

Bread pudding:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter bottoms and sides of eight ceramic ramekins or custard cups. Coat with granulated sugar.
Combine chopped chocolate, half of the sugar, heavy cream and butter in small heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer to large bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Whisk in egg yolks and vanilla.
Beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form, using electric mixer at medium speed. Slowly add remaining sugar, beating at high speed. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.
Gently fold in bread cubes. Divide mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins. Place in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to fill halfway up sides of ramekins.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into center of a pudding comes out clean. Place ramekins on wire rack to cool slightly.

Cappuccino sauce:
Heat heavy cream in small heavy saucepan over low heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Whisk in espresso powder and cinnamon. Let cool slightly. Whisk egg yolks with sugar in mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in hot cream mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, or until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.
To serve: Unmold pudding on dessert plate and surround with cappuccino sauce. Top with a scoop of chocolate sorbet, if desired.
(Recipe © Chocolatier magazine via the Pastry Whiz website,

http://www.pastrywhiz.com)

Orange ginger custard sauce tops pumpkin bread pudding

2008-11-24T11:27:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin bread puddings seem to be popping up everywhere, and just in time for holiday feasting. Of course, we’ll feature the usual array of pies and holiday cookies this Thanksgiving. And along with the ‘experimental stuffing’ in the turkey, we’ll add a new dessert. Perhaps a bread pudding? You can bet on it.

This pudding is rich with challah or egg bread, and is topped with a fragrant custard sauce flavored with fresh orange and ginger. The recipe was suggested by Marlene of suburban Phoenix. Move over pumpkin pie!

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH ORANGE GINGER CUSTARD SAUCE

9 cups challah or other egg bread, torn into chunks (about 1 lb.)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
One 16-ounce can pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Orange ginger custard sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Put bread in large bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together cream, pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar and all spices. Pour over bread and stir to blend, pushing bread down into mixture. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. At this point, you can refrigerate for up to 72 hours.
Bring to room temperature before continuing. Bake pudding until puffed and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve individual portions in a pool of custard sauce, or drizzle sauce over the top. Variation: Sprinkle pudding with about 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts before baking to send it over the top!

Orange Ginger Custard Sauce:
3 cups whole milk
Zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 teaspoons. orange liqueur or orange extract

In medium pan, heat milk, orange zest, and ginger over medium high heat until milk begins to form bubbles around sides of pan. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain zest and ginger out of milk, returning milk to the pan. Wisk in sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks and, over medium heat, whisk until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream and liqueur. Transfer to glass bowl, let cool slightly and press plastic wrap directly against surface to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. At this point, you may refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze up to 1 month. When ready to serve, rewhisk sauce and serve cold or warm. Makes about 3 cups.
You may also serve this gingery smooth custard sauce with apple cake, gingerbread, spice cake or this bread pudding.
(Recipe from The Diva's Famous Do-Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner - from Happy Holidays from the Diva of Do-Ahead, Diane Phillips)

Cinnamon raisin bread pudding with hot cider sauce is a warmer-upper

2008-11-24T10:45:00.002-05:00

We stopped at the library this afternoon, which was a warm, cozy spot to escape from our unseasonably cold weather here on the New England coast. And what jumped out at us as we stepped in the door was a cookbook titled, “Unbelievable Microwave Desserts” by Adrienne Welch and Mary Goodbody. With the subtitle, “More than 135 irresistible recipes for puddings, pies, cakes, and more,” this book was an invitation to check out especially the “and more.”

And, sure enough, on page 49 was a recipe for bread pudding. It had the homey touch of raisins and cinnamon with an intriguing hint (well, maybe more than a hint) of rum. Topping this pudding was a hot cider sauce – now who could resist this comforting dish on a cold, raw day?

Also, with the business of the holidays coming up, this recipe is as fast and easy as you’re going to get for a bread pudding – let the microwave do the cooking for you. The authors suggest in a kitchen note that to save time, prepare the custard mixture ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Then cut the bread cubes and store them in a plastic bag or airtight container until you are ready to prepare the pudding.

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD PUDDING WITH HOT CIDER SAUCE

Preparation time: About 20 minutes
Microwave time: 13 to 18 minutes plus 10 minutes standing

Bread pudding:
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons dark rum (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 slices cinnamon-raisin bread, crusts removed
2 cups hot tap water

Cider Sauce:
1 cup fresh apple cider
2 tablespoons dark raisins
4 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh lemon juice to taste

To make bread pudding: Combine eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and salt in 2-1/2-quart bowl. Whisk vigorously until frothy. Stir in milk, cream, rum, and vanilla extract. Use rubber spatula to fold in bread cubes. Mix well.
Spoon mixture into four 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Arrange ramekins in circle in 10-inch microwave-safe glass pie plate. Carefully pour hot tap water into pie plate. The water should come halfway up sides of ramekins.
Microwave on MEDIUM (50 percent) power for 10 to 13 minutes, rotating puddings a half turn after 5 minutes. If your microwave has no turntable, also rotate pie plate after 5 minutes. Test puddings for doneness after 10 minutes by inserting toothpick into each one; it should come out clean.
Let puddings stand in hot water bath on flat heatproof surface for 10 minutes while you prepare sauce.
To prepare cider sauce: Combine cider, raisins, and sugar in 2-cup microwave-safe glass measuring cup.
Put cornstarch in a small cup. Slowly stir in 1 tablespoon cider until smooth. Pour mixture into measuring cup holding the cider, and stir until blended.
Cover measuring cup with waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH (100 percent) power for 2 to 4 minutes, whisking every 60 seconds, until sauce is translucent and comes to a rapid boil. Do not let sauce boil for more than 30 seconds, or it will become watery.
Stir in rum, if desired, and vanilla extract. Add lemon juice to taste.
Run the tip of small knife around edge of a warm pudding. Invert pudding into palm of your hand and carefully place it right side up in center of a dessert plate. Spoon some cider sauce around it. Unmold and pour sauce on remaining puddings in the same way. Serves 4.
(Recipe from Unbelievable Microwave Desserts by Adrienne Welch and Mary Goodbody, © 1992, Simon & Schuster)

Pumpkin bread pudding celebrates Halloween

2008-10-30T22:36:00.003-04:00

We’re amazed at the number of pumpkin bread puddings we’ve come across in our travels. They come plain and also dolled up with nuts, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries, just to name a few variations.

Today’s recipe comes from Gourmet, which is a great endorsement. They describe it as “sultry” with “soft cushions of country bread soaked with rich custard.” Mmmmmmmm. This is definitely one to savor as we enter the chilly season here in New England.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs plus 1 yolk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread

3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, and spices in bowl. Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
(Gourmet, October 2007, Ian Knauer; also Epicurious.com)

Sourdough bread pudding is topped with warm honey sauce

2008-10-29T13:10:00.004-04:00

Mention sourdough bread and you’ve got our attention. It’s one of our all-time favorites. We love it plain with butter, or toasted to go along with our morning coffee. So there’s not usually much left over to play with. When we find a great sounding recipe like this one, however, we put some bread aside to make bread pudding. This recipe comes from Rachel Ray’s collection – you can count on her to come up with tasty offerings that are easy to put together.

It’s a nice, rich dish for cooler weather, studded with chunks of pecans, and topped with a honey/butter sauce that’s accented with cayenne and cinnamon to give it a little kick. Just pull up a chair by the wood stove and dig in.

SOURDOUGH BREAD PUDDING WITH HOT HONEY SAUCE

2 eggs
2 cups milk, at room temp
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/2 to 4 cups cubed sourdough bread
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

1.Preheat oven to 325°. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, then beat in milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter and vanilla. Gradually add th sugar and mix until dissolved.

2. Place bread cubes in 9-inch round baking dish and pour egg mixture on top. Sprinkle pecans on top and press them into bread. Bake until set, about 50 minutes.

3. A few minutes before pudding is done, in medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 stick melted butter with honey, cinnamon, cayenne and salt over medium heat, whisking to combine. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. Drizzle half of warm honey sauce over bread pudding and serve the rest alongside. Eight servings.
Prep time: 15 minutes. Bake time: 50 minutes.
(Recipe by Robb Walsh, from Every Day with Rachel Ray, April 2007. Photo by John Kernick.)

Stuff your pumpkin with bread pudding made with cranberries and raisins

2008-10-28T22:36:00.004-04:00

Pumpkins are everywhere these days, including my front porch where three pumpkins sit – my traditional collection, one for each of my three children.

And in the kitchen we’re contemplating how to use this full-of-flavor vegetable in some favorite dishes – pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, and even pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (thanks Risa for this latter incredibly wonderful recipe!).

Today’s pumpkin recipe involves stuffing this colorful round with a delectable mixture of raisin bread, cranberries, and pecans. Then it’s all topped off with a tempting lemon-vanilla sauce that oozes down the pumpkin. I found the recipe on Myrecipes.com where they featured this dish from Southern Living. You can make this dessert either using one large pumpkin, or as individual servings using one-half-pound pumpkins. Either way, you can count on ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ when you bring out this delightful offering that’s perfect for a holiday table.

STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CRANBERRY-RAISIN BREAD PUDDING

1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) pumpkin*
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and divided
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (16-ounce) raisin bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries

Lemon-Vanilla Sauce (below)

Cut off top of pumpkin, reserving lid with stem. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and pulp, and reserve for another use. Brush inside of pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Top with lid.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Brush inside of baked pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Stir together eggs and next 6 ingredients; spoon pudding mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
Bake pumpkin and bread pudding at 350° for 25 minutes. Let pumpkin cool; spoon bread pudding evenly into pumpkin shell. Serve with Lemon-Vanilla Sauce.
*Note: For individual servings, substitute 12 (1/2-pound) pumpkins. Scoop out seeds and pulp; sprinkle each pumpkin shell with 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar, and bake with the bread pudding. (Do not prebake as with the larger pumpkin.) Spoon bread pudding evenly into baked pumpkin shells. Yield: 12 servings.
(Southern Living, October 2002)

Lemon-Vanilla Sauce

1 vanilla bean, split
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Cook vanilla bean, water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and thickened.
Stir in butter and remaining ingredients, and cook until thoroughly heated. Remove vanilla bean. Yield: 1-2/3 cups.
(Southern Living, October 2002)

Sausage, apple, and Cheddar bread pudding is holiday fare

2008-10-28T21:08:00.003-04:00

We’re counting down the days. Until Halloween. Until the very-long-awaited election. Until the holidays, with their special meals and fixin’s. One recipe that caught our eye this week is rich with the flavors of apples, onion, sausage, and Cheddar cheese. It’s from a 2004 issue of Cooking Light, and while this dish could be defined as a bread pudding, it looks like it would make a great stuffing too. We’re always on the lookout for a new stuffing for the ‘experimental’ end of the bird. This could be this year’s holiday offering.

The folks at Cooking Light suggest leaving the peel on the apple for both color and texture. We’ll take them at their word. It looks like a great way to use leftover sourdough bread too.

SAUSAGE, APPLE, AND CHEDDAR BREAD PUDDING
Yield 6 servings

8 ounces turkey Italian sausage
2 cups chopped Granny Smith apple
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces (1-inch) cubed day-old sourdough bread (about 9 cups)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in apple and onion. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until apple is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
Combine milk, egg substitute, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in sausage mixture. Add bread, and stir gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until pudding is set and lightly browned.
Nutritional Information -
Calories: 308 (30% from fat) Fat: 10.4g (sat 4.9g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.6g) Protein: 20.7g
Carbohydrate: 32.4g Fiber: 2.7g Cholesterol: 50mg Iron: 2.5mg Sodium: 762mg Calcium: 256mg
(Marie Simmons, Cooking Light, October 2004)

Pepe's apple bread pudding has New Orleans flavor

2008-10-28T17:36:00.004-04:00

When you live in New Orleans, you have to love bread pudding. One of our Internet friends, Pepe, so enjoys the wonderful bread puddings there, that he’s been inspired to develop his own versions. Today’s recipe, his latest creation, he describes as “awesome.” His wife agrees and wants to make this dish part of their permanent collection.

“This bread pudding is so delicious you do not need the sauce,” says Pepe. He doesn’t always make the rum sauce, but that is an option. He advises letting the bread get stale for a couple of days before cutting it up for bread pudding. “I find it absorbs the milk/eggs mixture better. I also like to press it down once it is all combined so it absorbs the eggs and milk well,” says Pepe.

And while he uses Washington Delicious apples in his pudding, there are many other choices, depending on what’s available in your area. One of our local apple growers here in Rhode Island suggests using a combination of different apples in baked dishes. Among the apple varieties that bake up well are Baldwins, Golden Delicious, Jonathans, Macouns, Pippins, and Rhode Island Greenings. Just to name a few. I like to choose whatever's in my fridge and take it from there.

Here’s Pepe’s recipe. Thanks for sharing!

PEPE’S APPLE BREAD PUDDING WITH RUM SAUCE

1/2 cup raisins
4 ounces rum
1-1/2 loaf of French bread, cut into cubes
2 Washington Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 ounces slivered almonds
2 ounces diced pecans
7 large eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
3 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 14-ounce can condensed milk
1 stick butter, melted

Place raisins in rum overnight; they will swell up and get nice and juicy. Pull raisins and reserve the rum.
I use a Pyrex baking dish, about 11 X 16, sprayed with butter. Spread cut-up bread cubes to cover entire dish. Sprinkle apples, raisins, almonds, and pecans all over bread.
In large bowl, combine eggs with sugar and mix well. Add milk, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix well. Add evaporated and condensed milk and mix until well combined. Add reserved rum and butter and blend well.
Wash and dry the orange. Rasp the orange peel (orange only not the white) and pour into mixture. Squeeze juice of the orange and pour into mixture. Mix it all well.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Be sure to cover it all. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a fork inserted comes out dry. DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!! !!!
© 2008 recipe by Pepe of New Orleans.

Rum Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
4 tablespoons rum
Combine butter, flour, and sugar in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and add rum. Serve warm over bread pudding.

Halloween bread pudding uses candy from trick-or-treat night

2008-10-25T12:02:00.002-04:00

If there’s any candy left in the bowl after the ghosts and goblins come knockin’ at your door, here’s a delicious way to use it up. Crunch up the candy into little pieces and bake it into a post-Halloween nutty, crunchy bread pudding that you can serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

This one’s for my classmates from Chicopee High School in Massachusetts, where we’re celebrating our class reunion this weekend.
Go CHS!!
Marcus Chicotonius lives on!!!

POST-HALLOWEEN BREAD PUDDING

2 or 3 slices bread, spread lightly with butter or margarine, and cubed (2 to 3 cups)
11 miniature chocolate bars, chopped into chunks (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup (3- or 4-ounce package) dried cherries or cranberries
2 eggs, beaten with fork
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons apricot brandy (or vanilla extract)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups milk, scalded

Combine cubed bread, candy chunks, and dried fruit in greased 1-1/2-quart baking dish. In bowl, combine eggs, sugar, salt, brandy, and cinnamon. Add scalded milk slowly, stirring to combine. Pour over bread mixture. Set baking dish in shallow pan of hot water. Bake in 350-degree oven about 1 hour or until firm and browned on top. Serve topped with whipped cream or ice cream, and sprinkled with chocolate curls. Serves 4-6.
© 2008 recipe by Portia Little.

Apple bread pudding is North Carolina festival winner

2008-09-17T20:55:00.004-04:00

The apple festival is a delicious rite of autumn. And in fact, in Henderson, NC, one of the largest apple-producing counties in the United States, they have an apple festival each year. It goes on for three days, with a parade, grand marshal, apple queen, arts and crafts booths, and many food vendors. The works.

Every year too their local newspaper holds an apple recipe contest. This year Jay Farris won a prize for his apple bread pudding, which is brimming with Granny Smith apples and toasted pecans. And to top off that mouth-watering combo, he created a delectable sauce that’s flavored with apple juice and Calvados apple brandy.

Thanks to my friends on the AkaFallsInn_Hawaii Internet group for contributing this recipe – list owner Sonia Martinez of Hawaii, and Mary-Anne Durkee of California. They know a good recipe when they see one.

I can just imagine curling up by the fire on a cool fall evening with a big bowl of this pudding. It doesn’t get much better.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA APPLE BREAD PUDDING
(Prize winner in Western North Carolina apple recipe contest)

2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups or 4 slices Fireside Restaurant bread (a local restaurant), or other white bread, toasted and cubed
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1 cup peeled and diced WNC Granny Smith apples
For the sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup WNC apple juice
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup Calvados apple brandy (sub apple juice for no alcohol)
1 decoratively-sliced WNC apple (without the peel) for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 10-by-10 or 9-by-13 inch pan. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs and milk in a bowl, then add vanilla. Combine chopped apples and stir well. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 to 30 minutes (or until thoroughly absorbed).
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter and chopped pecans. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 50 minutes, or until firm or set. Remove from oven.
Sauce: Mix together granulated sugar, apple juice, butter, egg and vanilla in saucepan over medium heat. When simmering, add sliced decorative WNC apple slices. Add Calvados (or apple juice), stirring well. Reduce to about 1/2 cup of liquid and then pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.
(Recipe 2008 from Jay Farris, Hendersonville, NC)

Apple bread puddings are autumn specialty

2008-09-17T12:16:00.003-04:00

Fall’s in the air here on the Rhode Island shore. We love the crisp, cool weather, the sight of a few leaves turning on the trees, and the promise of fresh, crisp apples.

Also, on the bread pudding front, the apple recipes are ‘a comin’ in. We can’t wait to share them with you all. We like apple bread pudding as much as apple pie, so we can’t wait to try these new ways with apples. Topped with good vanilla ice cream, you can’t do any better. Today’s recipe is one of the easiest we’ve seen in a while, which fits in fine with everyone’s busy fall schedules. And because it contains no eggs or milk, this dish makes a fine vegan dessert. It was shared on Recipezaar by Cindi J, who also took the enticing photo. She first tasted the recipe years ago at a Pampered Chef party and has enjoyed it ever since.

APPLE BREAD PUDDING

6 cups cinnamon raisin bread, cubed (approx. 10 slices)
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 Granny Smith apples, sliced
1 (12.5-ounce) jar caramel sauce

Cube bread and toss with melted butter. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9x9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Slice apples thinly (you can leave peel on if desired), and evenly layer one-half of apples in bottom of prepared dish. Top apples with one-half of the bread cubes, making sure to layer as evenly as possible.
Pour one-half of jar of caramel sauce over bread and repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 6.
(Recipe from Recipezaar 2008, contributed by CindiJ. Photo also by CindiJ.)

Autumn bread pudding features pears, cranberries and apricots

2008-09-10T11:08:00.004-04:00

There’s a touch of fall in the air today. It feels good – nice and crisp and sunny, with temps just hovering around seventy degrees. And on the bread pudding scene is this recipe for autumn, full of the color and flavor of apricots, cranberries, and pears.

It comes from the folks at King Arthur Flour, whose shop and cooking facility I visited recently in Norwich, Vermont. This trip makes a delightful fall excursion. While you’re there, you can sample some of their fresh breads, attend a cooking class, or just enjoy the ambience.

They suggest using a nice, rich bread such as brioche or challah for this pudding. Mmmmm, this one’s irresistible.

AUTUMN BREAD PUDDING

7 cups (about 9 ounces) cubed leftover bread (brioche and challah are nice)

6 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 cup half and half, cream, or milk

15-ounce can pears in light syrup

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a Polish stoneware shallow fluted bowl, or 9" x 13" baking dish.Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add milk and half and half, continuing to whisk. Stir bread into egg mixture, using large spoon or spatula to mix everything together until bread is thoroughly coated. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.Drain pears, reserving syrup for another use if desired. Cut pears into 1" pieces. Cut dried apricots into slivers. (Scissors sprayed with a little non-stick vegetable oil spray work well here.) Fold all the fruit into bread-custard mixture and pour it into baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes (for 9" x 13" pan) to 60 minutes (for Polish dish), until pudding is puffed, lightly browned, and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let pudding cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve with ice cream, if desired. Yield: 12 servings.
(Recipe from King Arthur Flour, 2008)

Peanut butter and jelly stars in kids' recipe

2008-09-10T10:21:00.002-04:00

Kids in the kitchen – they’re either rummaging through the shelves for a snack, or complaining that “there’s nothing to eat.”

We’ve found that one way to keep them happy is to encourage them to try their own hand at cooking – and in fact some of my happiest moments were the times when one or more of my young kids would stand on a chair next to the counter, helping prepare a favorite treat – often chocolate chip cookies!

Last night as we were leafing through some food magazines, we came across a recipe that’s perfect for children to make. Easy-prep, and it contains the ever-popular peanut butter and jelly – that’s hard to beat.

Is this a bread pudding? No way, but it does contain some of the basic ingredients, bread, milk and eggs. So it goes into the ‘Almost Bread Pudding’ category, and we can’t wait to try this one with our grands.

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY FRENCH TOAST

12 slices bread
3/4 cup peanut butter
6 tablespoons (or more) jelly or jam
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Spread peanut butter on 6 slices of bread. Spread jelly on the other 6 slices. Put one slice of each together to form sandwiches. In mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs; add milk and salt and mix together. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture, coating well. Place in skillet and brown on both sides. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.
(Recipe from Taste of Home Collector’s Edition 1999)

Slow cooker white chocolate bread pudding is hot in the heat

2008-09-08T11:23:00.004-04:00

We ushered in Hurricane Hanna here the other day, fortunately with just a small ‘poof’ of wind and a steamy, warm day. But it was perfect weather for trying out a bread pudding in the slow cooker - not adding any more heat to the house. This pudding came all the way from Arizona, sent by my Internet buddy, Marlene Shillington. She thought this dish, with its white chocolate, colorful dried fruit such as cranberries or cherries, and brandy, would make a wonderful holiday dessert. But no way were we going to wait that long to try this sweet delicacy.

Marlene found the recipe on Sunday Dinner Club, a group on the Web devoted to good food and recipes. And, while she was contemplating making it with a quick bread, such as a cranberry/banana or cinnamon bread, I decided to just go with the recipe as is – my freezer is bulging with leftover Italian bread that screams “Lemme outa here,” each time I open the door.

It was a snap to put together and, unlike some slow cooker bread puddings, which take many hours to cook, this one was ready in just under two hours. I plumped the dried cherries in brandy, then added them to the first layer of bread – I didn’t bother to drain them - why waste a good thing? I served the pudding topped with additional chopped white chocolate, some dried cherries on the side, and whipped cream. It was very fine for breakfast as well.

SLOW COOKER WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries

3 tablespoon brandy or bourbon

1 (3-ounce) bar white chocolate (a high-quality brand, such as Tobler or Lindt)

2 tablespoons butter

6 cups stale French bread cubes

4 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soak cherries or cranberries in brandy (or juice) for at least one hour, until plumped. Coarsely chop the chocolate bar. Meanwhile, bring all remaining ingredients to room temperature. Generously butter crockery insert of a 3-1/2-quart slow cooker. Cover bottom with half of bread cubes; then scatter with half of drained cherries and chopped chocolate. Layer on remaining bread cubes, and top with rest of cherries and chocolate. Whisk eggs and sugar until smooth; then whisk in half-and-half and vanilla until well-blended. Carefully pour over bread mixture, gently pressing down on bread to moisten all cubes. Cook on high for 1-3/4 hours, without lifting lid, until set and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.
(Recipe from Sunday Dinner Club on Yahoo groups on the Web.)

Portia's note: I didn't bring the ingredients to room temp, as suggested in this recipe. It came out fine.

Bacon tomato tartlets star for dinner munchies

2008-09-07T12:56:00.002-04:00

One of the fun things about this blog is trying out the recipes. Most of them are winners, and yesterday’s tomato tartlets were no exception. We made them before dinner last night and if I hadn’t whisked most of them away to store in the freezer for next weekend’s company, we’d have had to make another batch. Eager hands were grabbing them up.

Here’s a photo we took before they disappeared from the plate.

Bacon tomato tartlets are bread pudding wannabees

2008-09-06T13:53:00.003-04:00

Did we say tomatoes? Again?

You bet your sweet beefsteaks we did! For one thing, we can’t resist sharing the great and sometimes unique recipes using juicy, flavorful tomatoes, either fresh from your garden or your local farmers’ markets. I was intrigued by today’s recipe, which falls under the category of “Almost Bread Puddings.” It does feature a bread product - biscuits - as well as cheese, and mayo, which of course contains eggs. But mostly I liked the idea of making some small tartlets, which can also be frozen and reheated later. If there are any left.

I found this recipe in a newsletter from Lisa Shively of NC, who’s a fellow foodie, cookbook author, radio personality, and contest judge, among her many talents. Food, once a passion, is now a full-time job for Lisa, who has teamed up with the NC Sweet Potato Commission to write her most recent cookbook, Lisa Shively’s Fat Little Sweet Potato Cookbook , which you can find on her website, www.cookingwithlisa.com.

Lisa’s love of food goes beyond the food itself. She feels that a good home-cooked meal creates “lasting family memories of everyone gathering at the table … .” And while it’s challenging to fit a family supper into a busy schedule, she calls their time together “priceless.” We share her sentiments, and we can’t wait to try this recipe.

BACON TOMATO TARTLETS

1 (12-ounce) can flaky biscuits
6 slices deli bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 medium tomato, seeds removed, and chopped
3 ounces Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Split each biscuit into 3 pieces (the flaky biscuits pull apart easily into their natural layers). Spray MINI muffin tins lightly with cooking oil, Press split biscuits into muffin tins. You may not use all the biscuits. Mix remaining ingredients together and fill each of the pastries with mixture. Bake in 350 F.-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 24 mini-muffin tartlets. These can be frozen and reheated for unexpected guests.
(Recipe from Lisa Shively’s Kitchen Helpers newsletter, contributed by Jere Ann Ocker, 2008.)

Hot sauce heats up tomato bread pudding

2008-09-05T13:10:00.003-04:00

Like the tomato crop, the bread pudding recipes just keep coming in. So many nice ones using tomatoes that it’s hard to decide which one to try next. And some, like today’s recipe, have been around for a few years.

“This dish is sooooooo good, and one can add whatever one wants or simply do it as is,” says MaryLee McAllister of Ohio, who contributed the recipe. She likes to use her heirloom tomatoes in this bread pudding, which she actually found in an article in the now-defunct Cincinnati Post from Joyce Rosencrans, their food editor at the time. “Tabasco Chipotle Sauce adds a nice, different, rather smoky taste,” notes MaryLee, who adds, “I like lots!”

Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses also give this pudding an extra kick along with chopped fresh onions and herbs. And, depending on the size of your group, you can enjoy this dish for dinner, and also serve it for brunch the next day.

SAVORY FRESH TOMATO BREAD PUDDING
Prep. Time: 35 minutes
Baking: 30-40 minutes

1 pound fresh tomatoes
12 cups bread cubes (from 12-ounce French bread)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning (or mix basil, oregano, thyme)
4 cups milk
5 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray a 13X9-inch baking dish. Set aside. Dice tomatoes to approximately 3 cups (medium dice). (Peel and seed if desired.) Place bread cubes in single layers on cookie sheets; bake until toasted, about 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Add toasted bread cubes to tomato bowl, along with shredded Jack and Parmesan cheeses, onion, and herbs. Spoon into baking dish. In same large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, hot sauce, and salt. Pour over tomato mixture. With pancake turner, press down bread to cover with custard mixture. Let stand 5 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F., uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly before lifting out squares to serve.
Recipe from Joyce Rosencrans, Food Editor, Cincinnati Post, 1998.
(Notes from MaryLee: Tabasco Chipotle Sauce gives a nice smoky taste, and she likes lots. Also, she uses sea salt.)

Hawaiian bread pudding features coconut and rum

2008-09-04T15:06:00.004-04:00

One of the very best things that’s happened since I started this blog just a few months ago is the connection I’ve made to so many wonderful people who have contributed recipes, made comments, and added their own expertise and dishes to the mix.

One such person is Mary-Anne Durkee, who lives in California and has traveled the world seeking out exotic and wonderful foods. Mary-Anne, also a fan of bread pudding, recently created her own version of a recipe from chef Austin Szu. She posted it on the AkakaFallsInn_Hawaii group, which showcases the best of the Big Island. She describes this pudding as “sort of Hawaiian with a Nutella® (Italian) twist.” Now there’s an intriguing combo. Leis and fedoras?

Nutella®, a chocolatey hazelnut spread, which is used in the presentation, was first created in the 1940s by Pietro Ferrero in Piedmonte, Italy, says Mary-Anne, who also is an editor for iFood.TV and owner of the Tomatomania list on Yahoo. Mahalo for this flavorful recipe!

COCONUT BREAD PUDDING
1-1/2 cup coconut milk

1-1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

8 large eggs

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons. Malibu coconut rum

1 pound Hawaiian bread, crust sliced, white cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups shredded coconut, finely chopped into smaller pieces

1 stick butter, room temperature

Extra coconut and macadamia nuts for topping and presentation (see below)

Heat milk, cream and vanilla in a pot until just boiling. In separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until sugar is dissolved, and then carefully temper in the hot dairy. Add rum and mix well.

Slice the crust off loaf of Hawaiian bread in large pieces and cut remaining white bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Mix room temperature butter with shredded coconut and spread it on inside of Hawaiian bread crust pieces and white bread pieces also. Lay all crust pieces crust side down in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. This will form the crust layer at the bottom of your bread pudding. Add bread-cubes mixture and toss to coat. Transfer bread cubes to baking pan and lie them on top of crust layer. Pour mixture over bread in baking pan and smooth top with a spatula. Let mixture stand for 25 minutes to allow bread to absorb the custard.

Bake at 325 degrees F. until center is set and bread pudding is golden brown on top, about 55 minutes. Let stand for 30 minutes to cool slightly.

For coconut topping and macadamia nuts, toss and roll them in finely chopped crystallized ginger, and lightly toast in oven.
(Recipe adapted by Mary-Anne Durkee for the AkakaFallsInn_Hawaii group from a recipe by chef Austin Szu.)
Note: the Hawaiian bread is similar to Portuguese sweet bread.

Savory tomato Brie bread pudding is seasonal delight

2008-08-31T12:26:00.004-04:00

Goodbye to August. It was a good one, and while summer is on the wane, we look forward to still more days when we can enjoy New England weather.

And, okay, if you’ve been paying attention, you know that we featured this recipe back on June 4th. We finally tried it last week, making use of our garden tomato crop.

It’s a winner – fragrant with the aroma of fresh tomatoes, sweet onion, and celery, and accented by a gentle suggestion of Brie. This savory pudding is good served warm or at room temp; and it would make a wonderful brunch dish or light supper.

I made a few changes, which I’ve noted at the end of the recipe. I felt the soft bread would be too soggy, so I toasted the pieces in the oven until just crisp on the outside. And, making only half the recipe for our twosome, I used one egg and 1 egg substitute (Egg Beater). The pudding is colorful with reds and greens, which would make it a nice Christmas dish … but let’s not get ahead of ourselves …

TOMATO BRIE BREAD PUDDING
(from Tomatoes, A Country Garden Cookbook, by Jesse Ziff Cool)

6 lightly packed cups of soft white bread

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped

8 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, homemade or canned

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Break bread into small pieces and place in large bowl. In medium saucepan, saute onions and celery in butter over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauteed mixture over bread and toss. Butter 2-quart baking dish. Spread layer of bread mixture on bottom. Cover with a layer of tomatoes and a third of the cheese. Continue layering, ending up with a layer of bread mixture on top. In small bowl, whisk together eggs and 1 cup chicken stock. Pour over dish. All bread should be lightly moistened. Add more stock if necessary. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until pudding is fluffy, firm and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. This bread pudding is also great when served at room temperature. Serves 6.

(Hints from Portia: I made half the recipe and substituted an Egg Beater (1/4 cup) for 1 egg, along with a second real large egg. For the bread, I tore up some hamburg buns and toasted them for 5 minutes on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F. Baked it in an 8”-square Corningware dish sprayed with cooking spray. The layers are as follows: 1/3 bread, 1/2 tomatoes, 1/3 cheese, 1/3 bread, 1/2 tomatoes, 1/3 cheese, 1/3 bread, 1/3 cheese. I used a generous 1 cup vegetable stock combined with the eggs, which made just the right amount of moisture.)

Brioche bread puddings are rich with berries of summer

2008-08-19T20:47:00.003-04:00

Did I hear “bread pudding”? My ears are tuned to those lovely words, and even though I’m distracted by the post-breakfast cleanup chores, I detect the “sounds” of bread pudding coming from the Food Network show that I have on in the background.

Yes!! It’s Tyler Florence and he has created some beautiful bread puddings full of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, which he’s nestled in individual ramekins. The dishes can wait. I put aside my wash cloth and watch as Tyler whips up a topping of powdered sugar, lemon rind, and juice to top these little delicacies.

I like the Tyler Florence recipes because they’re something I’d try myself – not too fancy and with a homey touch. They’re easy to put together and good enough to impress company, or just the immediate company of your family for a comfy weeknight meal.

This particular recipe is from Tyler’s Ultimate, which on this particular episode featured a Chicken Paillard with Creamy Parmesan Salad for the main course. I watched as he took the individual puddings out of the oven, and drizzled them with the lemon fondant. Well, I’d just call it a glaze, but I guess if you’re a Food Network guy you have to come up with something that sounds more special.

BRIOCHE AND BERRY BREAD PUDDING WITH LEMON FONDANT
(Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence 2008 from the Tyler’s Ultimate show, Ultimate Chickan Paillard episode)

Brioche Bread Pudding:
Butter, room temperature
4 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for dusting and topping
4 large slices brioche bread
2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), plus more for garnish

Lemon Fondant:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 lemons, zested and juiced

Butter and sugar 6 (6-ounce) ramekins. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest and sugar. Combine well with whisk, then let it settle so there are no air bubbles on the surface otherwise they will cause lumps in your anglaise.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Tear brioche up into large pieces using your hands, add to the custard mixture and toss to combine. Equally divide berries among ramekins and top with bread mixture. Gently press down so they are packed evenly. Sprinkle with more sugar, then refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to let soak.
Bake for 25 minutes in center of oven. The pudding is ready when it has puffed up and custard is set. The top should be a nice golden color. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
Make fondant. In mixing bowl combine sifted powdered sugar, water, lemon zest and juice.
Once pudding has cooled slightly, invert onto individual serving plate. Drizzle lemon fondant over warm bread pudding and serve with extra fresh berries.

Roasted tomatoes star in bread pudding

2008-08-09T15:34:00.003-04:00

As we marvel at the skills of the Olympic athletes this week, we also make note of a different competition. That is, which will take the prize in the garden for sheer volume of produce? The ever-prolific zucchini? Or the crop of tomatoes, which are, of course, again managing their annual accomplishment of ripening all at once, so you can’t pick them fast enough or use them up before they turn to a mushier state than you desire.

So thank goodness for good friends such as Jean Donnelly of Carlisle, MA, who sent a recipe from the July 2008 issue of Gourmet. Simply called “Tomato Bread Pudding,” this dish is anything but simple, as it features roasted Roma tomato halves, garlic, and two fragrant cheeses, an Italian Fontina, and some Parmigiano-Regianno.

The author of the Gourmet article, Paul Grimes, stated that this “homey dish made everyone in the test kitchen swoon.” In addition to serving it as a side dish, he suggests the possibility of making it a vegetarian main dish along with a green salad.

Now, even though we don’t have plum tomatoes among our own tomato crop, we’re going to use our garden variety to try this one. We have the tomatoes lined up on the counter, all ready to go.

TOMATO BREAD PUDDING

3 pounds plum tomatoes such as Roma, halved lengthwise

1 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 head garlic, left whole

10 cups cubed (1-inch) country-style Italian bread (1 pound)

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

8 large eggs

2 cups coarsely grated chilled Italian Fontina (9 ounces)

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter 3-quart shallow baking dish (about 13 by 9 inches). Toss tomatoes in bowl with herbes de Provence, 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in a large heavy 4-sided sheet pan.
Cut off and discard 1/4 inch from top of garlic head to expose cloves, then put on a sheet of foil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Wrap garlic in foil and roast in pan with tomatoes until tomatoes are browned but still juicy and garlic is soft, 50 to 60 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Cool garlic to warm, then force through a medium-mesh sieve with a rubber spatula, discarding skins. Reserve purée.
While garlic cooks, toss bread cubes in large bowl with remaining oil until coated, then spread out in large 4-sided sheet pan and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, garlic purée, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in cheeses. Transfer bread to baking dish, then pour egg mixture over bread and add tomatoes, pushing some down between bread cubes. Bake until firm to the touch and golden brown in spots, 50 to 60 minutes. Serves 8.
(Recipe and photo from Gourmet, July 2008.)
Cooks' note: Bread pudding is best the day it is made but can be made 1 day ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Reheat, covered with foil, in a 350°F oven.

Tomato bread puddings help use up the crop

2008-08-08T10:54:00.003-04:00

The tomatoes are arriving in droves. Bright red ones hanging from the branches just waiting to be picked and enjoyed sliced fresh and topped with salt or a splash of Balsamic vinegar. Or to make into fresh pasta sauce accented with garlic, or in a tomato-cheese pie fragrant with basil leaves, also right from our garden.

And just in time for the influx of the big reds, we’re receiving recipes for tomato bread puddings, both in our e-mail and snail mail boxes. Our friend Kathy J from CA sent an e-mail asking, “Is this bread pudding?” She was referring to the recipe she forwarded, which does indeed include the necessary bread, but has no eggs or milk.

Why not? Our definition of bread pudding has broadened to include the summer puddings, which contain only layers of bread and macerated fruit. So we can certainly label this offering a bread pudding. It’s from Norma, a contributor to Taste of Home, who comments: “Every time I make this dish, someone asks for the recipe.” You can’t get much better than that. It’s lovely for an end-of-summer side dish.

TOMATO CROUTON CASSEROLE

8 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
8 slices bread, crusts removed and cubed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange tomatoes in greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with bread cubes. Combine butter, salt, basil, and thyme; drizzle over bread and tomatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender. Serves 8-10 as a side dish.
(Recipe from Taste of Home online.)

Mushroom bread pudding is all-day pleasure

2008-08-01T15:35:00.001-04:00

Trying to beat the heat, we’ve been seeking out simple lunch or brunch dishes. Something to make up ahead in the morning to enjoy with a garden or fresh fruit salad. Today’s bread pudding is at the top of the list.

This recipe immediately caught my eye because, as I see it, there can never be too many mushrooms. Next to, or alongside, chocolate, they’re my favorite ingredient. There isn’t a mushroom I don’t like, either dried or fresh. In fact, I have wonderful memories of the beet borscht my mom used to make using packaged dried mushrooms. From the plain old garden-variety of button mushrooms at the market, to the more exotic shitakes, creminis, and cepes, I love to add them to fresh salad greens, sauces, and stir-fry dishes.

And also to bread pudding, especially when you have a savory dish such as today’s Mushroom Bread Pudding, which I found in Mollie Katzen’s Sunlight Café cookbook. Her chapter on puddings and custards, an inspiration in itself, includes such goodies as Honey or Maple Breakfast Flan, Sweet Potato Pudding, and Spinach-Feta Pudding. Oooooooh, I’m in pudding heaven. Post-its all over the place.

Katzen offers not only marvelous recipes in this book, but also some helpful tips, such as the following:
“You can give this pudding an even deeper flavor by adding up to 1/2 ounce of dried shitake, oyster, or porcini mushrooms to the sautéed mixture in step 4. Soak dried mushrooms in hot water about 30 minutes, then drain, stem, and chop, and they’re ready to use. Save flavorful soaking liquid for use in soup or sauce, if desired.”

MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 40 minutes, plus 35 to 40 minutes to bake

Nonstick spray
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
6 to 8 cups sliced mushrooms (1-1/2 lbs.)
5 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups bread cubes (1-1/2-inch pieces)
5 large eggs
2 cups milk
Sour cream, yogurt, or Crème Fraiche, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F. (325 degrees for glass pan). Lightly spray 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Place large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute over medium heat about 8 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add mushrooms and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Saute about 5 minutes, then cover and cook 10 minutes longer over medium heat. Stir in garlic, sherry, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes longer, then remove from heat. Grind in black pepper to taste.
Distribute bread cubes evenly in prepared pan. Spread mushroom mixture on top of bread, being sure to include all of liquid.
Combine eggs and milk in blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour mixture over bread and mushrooms, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Poke bread into liquid until all pieces are soaked. Bake in center of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until custard is almost set. (It’s okay if it is still slightly wet on top, as it will continue to cook from its own heat for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven.)
Cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temp, with a dab of sour cream, yogurt, or Crème Fraiche on top of each serving.
(Recipe from Mollie Katzen’s Sunlight Café cookbook, © 2002)

Peach buttermilk bread pudding is summertime hit

2008-07-31T16:11:00.003-04:00

The peaches are glowing on our two trees. They’re rosy and magnificent. And hard as rocks.

I hope they survive the garden pests long enough to ripen and be ready for picking and eating. People rave about Georgia peaches, and with good reason. You hardly ever hear anyone go on and on about New England peaches, but in fact we do enjoy some luscious, juicy varieties, just later in the season.

So while we await our own fruit supply, we’re going to the market to select some fresh peaches to enjoy in a wonderful peach bread pudding that was created by pudding connoisseurs Alma Gonzales and her son Rey. Sourdough bread takes well to fruit bread puddings and this one is no exception. It’s also rich with buttermilk and cream, golden raisins, and spices. They suggest serving the pudding with a drizzle of whipping cream. Ahhhhhhhh …

PEACH & BUTTERMILK BREAD PUDDING WITH GOLDEN RAISINS

8 cups (1-1/2") stale sourdough bread cubes (with crust left on)

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

1 cup golden raisins

3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2-1/2 pounds ripe but firm peaches (about 8), peeled, pitted and sliced 1/8" thick

1 teaspoon butter

6 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup turbinado or demerara sugar
Heavy whipping cream for drizzling, optional

Arrange a rack in middle of oven and put large baking sheet on rack below it, to catch any drips. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, toss together bread, buttermilk, heavy cream, milk, raisins, and nutmeg and set aside to soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, toss together 1/4 cup granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and peaches, to coat; set aside.

Grease 9x13" casserole dish with butter. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar in medium bowl, then add to the bread mixture. Add macerated peaches and stir well to combine. Transfer to prepared dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top and bake until cooked through and deep golden brown, covering with a sheet of foil if parts of top get too dark, about 1-1/4 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with a drizzle of cream, if desired.
(Recipe by Alma and Rey Gonzales.)

Chocolate candy bread pudding celebrates chocolate day

2008-07-30T11:19:00.006-04:00

Okay, so we’re a couple of days late. National Milk Chocolate Day was actually on July 28. But after spending a week cruising the Atlantic ocean and gazing at the lovely blue waters of Bermuda, we have to be forgiven for being somewhat distracted.

Now back to bread pudding. And what a delicious reality it is. In honor of this celebration of our favorite sweet and ingredient, we’ve created a bread pudding using chocolate almond bars. And because red fruits seem to go so well with chocolate, we decided to top our pudding with a raspberry sauce. We took a short cut making this delightful sauce – we melted some raspberry preserves, seeds and all, in a saucepan, and thinned it out with a few drops of Amaretto – for a wonderful and easy accent.

We found biting down on the occasional almond to be a delightful surprise, but if you don’t care for nuts, you can use plain chocolate. I tend to favor dark chocolate – the higher the number, the better, but the milk chocolate was actually very pleasant in this dish. And yes, we did enjoy it with our breakfast coffee – so what else is new?

CHOCOLATE CANDY BREAD PUDDING WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

2-1/2 cups bread cubes
1/2 cup (heaping) chopped milk chocolate (two 1.45-ounce bars), with or without almonds
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups milk, heated to scalding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine bread cubes and chocolate pieces in greased 1-1/2-quart baking dish. In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add hot milk slowly, stirring. Pour over bread mixture. Push bread down into liquid. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until puffy and firm and browned on top. Serve topped with raspberry sauce (below), whipped topping and fresh fruit. Serves 4-6.
Raspberry Sauce: In saucepan, heat 1/2 cup (or amount of your choice) raspberry preserves on low heat until melted, stirring in a few spoonfuls of Amaretto or raspberry liqueur to thin out mixture.
© 2008 recipes by Portia Little, adapted from a recipe in Finger Lakes Food, Fact & Fancy cookbook by the same author.

Big Island Bread pudding photo

2008-07-19T21:28:00.003-04:00

Here's a photo of the winner in the Taste of Puna Cook-Off from the previous article - Big Island Bread Pudding with Coconut Honey Sauce

Doesn't it look yummy!!

Big Island bread pudding is Hawaii Cook-Off winner

2008-07-19T20:50:00.006-04:00

From a distant shore comes news of a bread pudding winning recipe. Several friends, including list mom, Sonia Martinez, from the Cooking with Aloha Internet group
Have shared a prize bread pudding recipe from the Taste of Puna Cook-Off in Keaau, Hawaii. This annual event draws a large crowd who wait anxiously to taste and enjoy the “provocative and creative dishes” from Puma.

Each year the proceeds from donations from the public tasting go to a charitable organization, which in this case was Best Friend Camp, a group that encourages building stronger families and encouraging positive parenting.

In the Best of Dessert Category event, the winner was the Big Island Bread Pudding with Coconut Honey Sauce by Michelle Grace. This delectable-sounding offering features tropical favorites such as bananas, pineapple, and macadamia nuts, with a sauce made with coconut milk and honey.

BIG ISLAND BREAD PUDDING WITH COCONUT HONEY SAUCE
(Dessert category winner by Michelle Grace in the Taste of Puna Cook-Off)

Bread pudding:
1 loaf cinnamon bread, cut into 1” cubes
1/2 cup Puna white sugar
1/2 cup Puna brown sugar
2 cups whole milk
2 cups half & half
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 Keaau bananas, chopped
1 15-ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 cup Puna Mac Nuts, toasted & chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13x9” pan. In small bowl mix together bananas and pineapple until combined.
In medium saucepan combine white and brown sugars, milk, half & half, butter and salt. Heat over low heat until sugar and butter are melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
In small bowl whisk together eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Slowly add to milk mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Set aside.
Spread half of bread cubes in pan and sprinkle with half of banana mixture. Repeat with remaining bread and banana. Slowly pour egg/milk mixture over bread and fruit until completely saturated. Sprinkle with macadamia nuts and bake for 55-60 minutes or until golden-brown, puffy, and there is no liquid visible when punctured.

Coconut Honey Sauce:
1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
1/2 cup Keaau Bee Happy Christmas Berry Honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons corn starch
2 tablespoons butter
1/16 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
In small bowl whisk together water and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.
In medium saucepan, bring coconut milk, honey, ginger, nutmeg and salt to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent burning. Whisking vigorously, add water/cornstarch mixture into coconut mixture and bring back to a simmer. Let bubble gently, whisking constantly to prevent lumps and burning, until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, almond and vanilla until smooth. Lavishly ladle over warm bread pudding and enjoy!!

Berry-brioche bread pudding is crunchy and creamy

2008-07-19T18:28:00.004-04:00

We’re celebrating summer with a variety of fresh and fruity bread puddings. Recipes are cropping up everywhere – in magazines, from friends, on TV shows and Internet sites, and on the pages of our vast collection of cookbooks. “You must be onto something,” a friend pointed out to me recently as she mentioned a recipe and photo of a scrumptious Berry Brioche Bread Pudding that was featured in the “Last Bite” section in the May 2008 issue of Food & Wine.

This recipe, created by pastry chef Karen DeMasco of New York City’s Craft restaurant, features sweet brioche soaked in custard. Her pudding also has a crunch on top and bottom, which she achieves by sprinkling the bottom of the baking dish with turbinado sugar.

Today as we passed by a farm where people were picking raspberries, we wanted to just jump out and join them. We hope they left some berries so we can fill up our baskets next week. And try this bread pudding.

BERRY BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING
(Active: 20 min: Total: 1 hr 40 min plus cooling)
8 servings

Unsalted butter, for greasing dish
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1-12 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries and raspberries, plus more for serving
One 1-pound loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Whipped cream for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8x11-inch baking dish and coat with turbinado sugar.
In large saucepan, bring cream, milk, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, and salt to a simmer over moderately high heat, then remove from heat.
In bowl, whisk whole eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually whisk in hot cream until blended. Strain custard through a fine strainer into a large bowl.
In small bowl, toss blueberries and raspberries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Using a fork, coarsely mash berries. Let stand until juicy, about 5 minutes.
Mix brioche into custard. Fold in mashed berries. Transfer pudding to prepared baking dish and sprinkle top with remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until set in center. Remove foil and bake in top third of oven for 20 minutes longer, until golden brown.
Preheat broiler. Broil pudding for 1 minute, until golden brown. Transfer to rack and let stand for 30 minutes, until cooled slightly. Cut bread pudding into squares and serve with blueberries, raspberries, and whipped cream.
(Recipe from Food & Wine, May 2008; created by pastry chef Karen DeMasco of Craft, 43 E. 19th St., New York City. Photo by Antonis Achilleos.)

Blueberry bread pudding is for brunch or dessert

2008-07-18T21:34:00.002-04:00

This time of year often brings a lot of company. People yearning for a change of scenery or to enjoy some fresh ocean breezes. Most of them are easy to please in the food department. But sometimes you just want to show off a special dish.

I couldn’t resist this blueberry bread pudding that I found in a recent issue of Cooking Light. They suggest assembling it ahead to bake when ready, and serving it not only for dessert, but also as a main dish for brunch. If you don’t have enough blues on hand, you could always sub some other favorite berries, adjusting the sugar if necessary.

A helpful hint from the folks at Cooking Light is to “reserve the crusts you trim from the bread … and pulse in a food processor … fresh breadcrumbs should be stored in an airtight container and can be frozen for up to six months.” Now my freezer is already loaded with stale bread, but I’m sure we could fit in some crumbs too.

BLUEBERRY BREAD PUDDING

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
Cooking spray
2 cups blueberries
1 (16-ounce) loaf Italian bread
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Combine first 3 ingredients in small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook for 2 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Pour sugar mixture into 13x9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with blueberries.
Remove crust from bread; reserve crust for another use. Cut bread into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange bread slices over blueberries.
Combine milk, vanilla, salt, and eggs in large bowl, stirring with whisk until frothy; stir in liqueur, if desired. Pour milk mixture over bread. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
Uncover pan; let stand at room temp 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until browned. Place large platter or jelly roll pan upside down over baking pan; carefully invert onto platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 9 servings.
CALORIES: 324 (29% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 5.1g mono3.4g. poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 7.9g; CARB 51g.; FIBER 1.8g; CHOL 137mg; IRON 1.8mg; SODIUM 380mg; CALC 110mg.
(Recipe from Cooking Light, June 2008)

Summer bread pudding is berry fine

2008-07-18T21:06:00.003-04:00

Our blueberry bush in the back yard is finally producing. Each morning we go out to gather a few dozen berries to top our morning cereal. The nice thing is that they’re not coming ripe all at once – just enough to keep whetting our appetite for more.

This is definitely fresh berry season here in New England. We remember gathering blueberries in the woods on a misty Cape Cod morning as a child. And in Maine, those small, sweet delightful blues, are irresistible. Here in Rhode Island, although strawberry season has finished, it’s time to gather fragrant red raspberries at local farms. I love to enjoy these fresh berries just eaten out of hand. But if there are more than you can eat, you can make them into a luscious dessert, or freeze them to use later.

To freeze fresh berries, just put them on a layer on a tray in the freezer, and freeze until firm, then pop them into a freezer bag to use later in pancakes, pies, or cobblers. Or, sneak ‘em into your favorite fruit bread pudding. Here’s another no-bake summer pudding that’s ready for next-day eating.

SUMMER BERRY PUDDING

2 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 pint fresh blackberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
8 slices potato bread (stale), challah, or other good-quality white bread (see note)

Heat strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and sugar in large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to release their juice and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice; let cool to room temp.
While berries are cooking, spray 9x5-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. Remove crusts from bread slices and trim them to fit in single layer in loaf pan (it will take approximately 2-1/2 slices to form 1 layer). Line loaf pan with plastic wrap. Make sure plastic wrap lies flat against surface of pan, leaving no air space.
Place loaf pan on rimmed cookie sheet and use slotted spoon to place about 2 cups fruit into bottom. Lightly soak enough bread slices for 1 layer in juice and place on top of fruit. Repeat with 2 more layers of fruit and bread. Top with remaining juices, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and weight with a second cookie sheet and several heavy cans. Refrigerate pudding for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.
Remove weights, cookie sheet, and plastic wrap. To unmold, invert onto platter; lift off loaf pan; remove plastic wrap and serve. Serves 6 to 8.
Per Serving: Cal 170; Fat 1.5 g; Sat fat 0 g; Chol 0 mg; Carb 40 g; Protein 3 g; Fiber 5 g; Sodium 140 mg(Note: Stale the bread for this recipe by leaving it out overnight. Otherwise, put the slices on a rack in a single layer into a 200-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, turning them once halfway through. If you use challah, the second choice for bread, cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices. If neither potato bread nor challah is available, use a good-quality white sandwich bread with a dense, soft texture. To ensure that this larger pudding unmolds in one piece, use a greased loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Whipped cream is the perfect accompaniment to summer pudding.)
(Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, July/1999. To view illustrated instructions, visit www.cooksillustrated.com.)

Easy, make-ahead bread pudding is English summer specialty

2008-07-18T20:44:00.002-04:00

The source for today’s recipe was a surprise. It was me. Well, uh, me in a past life. When I worked as a food columnist for the Boston Herald, my first ‘real’ job after college, my mom kept a scrapbook of my articles. Going through that book the other day I came across an article I had written for the Sunday section of the Herald that featured three recipes from England – “a country where berries and fruits grow with unmatched flavor, and cream is so thick a spoon can stand in it…” Ah, I could really sling it in those days.

Along with recipes for Peach Fool and Lemon Flummery, there was an easy recipe for Summer Pudding. We didn’t need a lot of step-by-step instructions back then – common sense took us through it. And there's no servings yield - guess they felt anyone could figure that one out.

Here’s to nostalgia and fresh fruit and keeping it simple!

ENGLISH SUMMER PUDDING

1 quart berries
3/4 cup sugar (more or less according to taste)
Slices of bread

Cook berries with sugar a very little water until the juice runs freely. Line a suitable bowl with slices of bread, placing slices close together so that there is no space between them.
Pour into lined bowl the fruit and juice and cover with more bread. Put a plate on top and let pudding remain in refrigerator until the next day. Unmold and serve with thick cream.

No-bake bread pudding is perfect for a sizzling summer

2008-07-18T17:44:00.001-04:00

Here’s the second installment of our series on “summer bread pudding.” No heating up the oven or the house. Keep it simple. A friend of mine found this recipe on the Internet, copied it, and gave it to me on a hot, muggy day here.

Use a mixture of your favorite berries to combine with some stale bread slices. Make it up the day before to enjoy the next day. And the next. If there’s any left over.

SUMMER BREAD PUDDING

1/2 loaf sliced white bread with crusts removed
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
4 cups mixed summer berries (raspberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries)
Whipped cream to serve

Line 8x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving enough to cover top of contents later.
Combine berries and sugar in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until sugar dissolves and berries become juicy (about 5 minutes). Stir in orange juice.
Cover bottom of loaf pan with thin layer of berries. Top with layer of bread slices, making sure slices fit together tightly. Add another, thicker layer of berries. Top with layer of bread. Continue process until pan is full, ending with layer of bread. This will probably take 3 layers of berries and 3 layers of bread. Pour remaining juice over last layer of bread. Fold excess plastic wrap over top of bread pudding.
Place bread pan on plate or cookie sheet to catch any overflow of berry juice.
To weigh down pudding: Place second bread pan on top of pudding. Place a few soup or other cans inside empty loaf pan. Place in fridge to chill for at least 8 hours, and up to 24.
After pudding is set, unfold plastic wrap and unmold it by turning loaf pan onto platter. Serve sliced with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 6-8.

Summer bread pudding hits the spot when it's too hot to cook

2008-07-14T22:43:00.001-04:00

We’re getting into the dog days of summer. I don’t know why we have to blame all this heat and discomfort on a critter from the canine family, but, no matter, it’s time to head for the beach. Or the AC. And just in time, I’ve been receiving recipes lately for something called “summer” bread pudding, that you can make without heating up the house. In fact, it’s made with layers of bread and berries that you cover and weight down, then keep overnight in the refrigerator, while the flavors meld. After a day or so it’s ready to serve, topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Today’s recipe is from one of my very favorite cookbooks, Caprial Cooks for Friends, by Caprial Pence, the award-winning chef and owner of Caprial’s Bistro in Portland, Oregon. Her recipes make for wonderful entertaining, and this one’s a good example. You don’t have to heat up the kitchen to make this summer treat, but it does take a bit of planning ahead so it will be ready for serving time.

In the next few blog articles, we’ll post some other recipes for “summer” bread pudding, but here’s the first installment.

SUMMER PUDDING

3 cups raspberries, rinsed
1-1/2 cups blackberries, rinsed
1 cup blueberries, rinsed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
16 slices sweet egg bread, such as challah, or soft white bread
1 cup heavy whipping cream, as an accompaniment

In large saucepan over high heat, combine berries, sugar, liqueur, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and cook just until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes.
Lightly grease eight 8-ounce ramekins. Using ramekin as a guide, trim each slice of bread into a circle, disgarding crusts. Using large slotted spoon, place a spoonful of cooled berry mixture in each ramekin, then top with a circle of bread. Divide remaining berry mixture among ramekins. Top each with another circle of bread. Divide remaining berry mixture among ramekins. Top with another circle of bread. Pour remaining juice over each of the puddings to soak. Place ramekins on baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and top with second baking sheet. Place 2 or 3 heavy cans on top to add weight. Refrigerate for 24 hours, or up to 2 days.
To serve, run knife around sides of ramekins, and turn each one over onto a place or pasta bowl to release the pudding. Top with dollop of whipped cream. Serves 8.
(Recipe from Caprial Cooks for Friends by Caprial Pence)

Ambrosia bread pudding is blast from the past

2008-07-11T10:32:00.003-04:00

Remember that fruit concoction from way back in the seventies that someone labeled “Ambrosia”? I must have been in a nostalgic frame of mind recently when I dredged that one out for a family cookout. I tossed some canned pineapple tidbits, mandarin orange segments, and mini marshmallows together with sour cream and let it sit for a while in the fridge.

Some people at the gathering oohed and ahhed about it (obviously too young to remember that it was a staple at every picnic several decades ago), while others said it was either too sweet, or they preferred fresh fruit, thank you.

So I was left with some of this goopy salad after the outing. And, with stale bread beckoning also, I consulted Spooky the culinary feline, about combining all this stuff into a bread pudding. She said, “Go for it!” We added a few chopped maraschino cherries, for color and a little added ‘oomph,’ to the mix. And her advice was, as usual dependable, and we wound up with a darn good bread pudding. And I can’t believe I actually did this!

AMBROSIA BREAD PUDDING

2 to 3 cups stale bread cubes
1 cup ambrosia salad (see below)
1 tablespoon finely chopped maraschino cherries
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon butter

Place bread cubes in bottom of buttered or cooking-sprayed 1-1/2-quart (6-cup) baking dish. Gently mix in ambrosia and chopped cherries. In bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, and orange juice. Stir in coconut extract. Pour liquid ingredients over bread mixture in pan. Scatter bits of butter on top. Let sit about 30 minutes. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until puffy on top and slightly browned. Serve with your favorite topping. Serves 6.

© 2008, recipe by Portia Little.
(Ambrosia: Combine equal amounts of pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows with sour cream until it meshes together well; let sit in fridge for a couple of hours to combine.)

Classic Louisiana bread pudding arrived today

2008-07-10T21:42:00.002-04:00

What a wonderful surprise to open my e-mail box today and find a recipe from my good Internet friend Pepe in New Orleans. He found this classic bread pudding in a Louisiana Online magazine and very generously passed it on to me.

It’s loaded with some of our favorite goodies – coconut, crushed pineapple, and raisins. And to add to the richness is a full three-fourths of a cup of unsalted butter. Who could resist this wonderful offering? They suggest serving it with a warm rum or whiskey sauce, which I have added following the pudding recipe.

We haven’t been to New Orleans in about ten years, but with enticing dishes such as this, we may have to make it a destination.

LOUISIANA CLASSIC BREAD PUDDING

1/2 loaf stale French bread
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
2-1/2 cups milk
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup grated coconut
Rum Sauce (below)

Tear bread into 1-inch chunks and set aside. Beat eggs, 1 stick butter, and sugar until creamy. Add both milks, salt, and vanilla; mix well. Fold in bread, raisins, pineapple, and coconut. Use remaining butter to coat well a 2-1/2 quart baking pan. Pour in pudding and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-60 minutes, or until set.
Note: We like a light brown crust, so we do not bake pudding in a bain marie, though you may do so.
Serve with a warm rum or whiskey sauce.
(Recipe from Louisiana Online magazine, courtesy of Sarah Liberta)

RUM SAUCE

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half
1/2 cup brown sugar
Dash salt
2 tablespoons dark rum

Melt butter in saucepan; add cream, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Stir in rum. Rewarm over low heat, stirring.

Strawberries and cream bread pudding is berry good

2008-07-09T14:16:00.002-04:00

When U.S. kids were asked to pick their favorite fruit, more than half of them chose the strawberry, according to information from the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

And no wonder – these bright red berries are nice to look at, fun to pick at local farms, good eating right out of hand. We love the fragrance of the fresh picked ones – if only someone could bottle that fragrance. Those perfume counter vendors could spritz you with Eau de Strawberry as you’re passing by.

They’re also yummy in so many favorite dishes such as the ever-popular traditional strawberry shortcake, as well as in pies, pancakes, scones, muffins, and cobblers. Toss ‘em into a fresh salad along with a balsamic dressing for a refreshing go-along with a summer lunch or dinner.

Today’s bread pudding recipe, which is beyond irresistible, has not only fresh berries, but also strawberry preserves for a double whammy of strawberries. Make it in the early morning before the heat creeps in. We’re going to enjoy it topped with some good vanilla ice cream on this lovely summer day. We thank Betty, our Internet friend from California, for sharing this recipe.

STRAWBERRIES & CREAM BREAD PUDDING

2 tablespoons butter, melted
7 slices day-old bread, torn into small pieces
3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
3 large eggs
1-1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup light cream, or half & half
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spread melted butter on bottom and sides of 8-inch square baking dish. Toss bread with chopped strawberries, and spread in baking dish. Whisk eggs, milk, cream, strawberry preserves, sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl. Pour over bread. Let sit in fridge about 30 minutes for bread to absorb liquid. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake pudding 40-50 minutes, or until top is browned slightly and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 12.
(Recipe adapted from recipe on Allrecipes.com, submitted by T Gagne. Photo from Allrecipes.com)

Blueberry bread puddings have lemon topping

2008-07-02T21:31:00.002-04:00

The blueberry bush in the back yard is brimming with berries. That’s great news, you say. Well, it is if you like gray/green berries. A grand total of four of them are now blue, and we hope by tomorrow will be ripe for picking. No need to rush these things. We put a net over the bush to keep our bird buddies and other critters away. Not that we don’t believe in sharing, but we do have our limits.

So to celebrate the future of big blues in the yard, we’re featuring these delightful blueberry bread puddings baked in ramekins and topped with a tart lemon curd made with fresh lemon juice. Lemon adds such a refreshing touch to summer desserts. Make these up in the morning while it’s still cool, and enjoy for dessert later.

BLUEBERRY BREAD PUDDINGS WITH LEMON CURD

Puddings:
1-1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4-1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed French bread (about 8 ounces)
Cooking spray
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided

Lemon curd:
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons butter

To prepare puddings: combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl, stirring well with whisk. Add bread, tossing to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Divide half of bread mixture evenly among 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup berries. Divide remaining bread mixture among ramekins; top with 3/4 cup berries.
Cover each ramekin with foil. Place ramekins in 13x9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to depth of 1 inch. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
To prepare lemon curd: combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1 egg in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring with whisk. Cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture is light in color, stirring constantly. Stir in lemon juice and butter; cook 2 minutes or until mixture coats back of a spoon, stirring constantly with whisk.
Place saucepan in large ice-filled bowl for 5 minutes or until lemon curd cools to room temp. Serve lemon curd over warm bread puddings. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 bread pudding and 1 tablespoon lemon curd)
CALORIES 240 (20% from fat); FAT 5.2g (sat 2g, mono 1.8g, poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 7.1g; CHOLESTEROL 112mg; CALCIUM 84mg; SODIUM 234mg; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.9g.
(Recipe from Cooking Light, November 2002)

Vegan bourbon peach bread pudding is summer pleasure

2008-07-01T11:50:00.003-04:00

Since we’re in a summer fruit frame of mind, we’ll be posting some luscious bread pudding recipes using the best of the summer crop. Here’s a recipe using peaches that I found on a site called LIME.com, “Healthy living with a twist,” where you can get “fresh ideas, videos, and articles on how to live a greener, healthier more balanced life.” This pudding features bourbon, or rum. If you’d prefer, you can substitute a little bit of rum flavoring for the booze.

From time to time we get requests for recipes for vegetarian or vegan bread puddings, and this looks like one of the best, using no animal products at all. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and allergen-free. We’re also going to add a category to our blog sidebar listing Vegetarian/Vegan Bread Puddings. Please note: a listing or mention of a particular product does not indicate our endorsement of that product; it's simply information about where you might find a particular product. Enjoy!!

VEGAN BOURBON PEACH BREAD PUDDING
(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Allergen-free)

1/4 cup organic canola oil (Spectrum)
1 cup organic brown sugar
3 cups non-dairy milk, (rice milk, soy milk, or oat milk)
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 heaping cups peaches, fresh or frozen, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons bourbon (all distilled alcohol is gluten-free, but if you'd rather not use bourbon, you can substitute rum)
5 cups gluten-free bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes (gluten-free bread really lends itself to bread pudding, try Ener-G or Food For Life; this recipe can also be made with regular day-old French bread, if you prefer)
3 tablespoons flax seed meal combined with 1/2 cup hot water ("flax eggs")
1/3 to 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine canola oil with brown sugar in a heavy pan, and cook, stirring, over low heat about 3 minutes. Add non-dairy milk, stirring well to combine. Using a small sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds (they look like a black paste). Whisk the seeds into the pan. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Whisk well. Add peaches, bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add bourbon. Pour over bread cubes and let soak 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add "flax eggs" to bread mixture, stirring well to combine. Pour into a greased 9"x9" or 8"x11" pan, at least 2 1/2" deep. Combine turbinado sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over top. Bake 1 hour until a caramelized golden brown on top. Allow to set for 1 hour before serving. Makes 6 servings.
(Posted on LIME.com by Cybele Pascal, 2/6/07)

Peach bread pudding is summer favorite

2008-06-30T15:24:00.004-04:00

We can’t get enough of the fresh fruits of summer. And even though it’s too early yet to enjoy our own home-grown garden varieties, we’ve been indulging our fancies in the produce section of the supermarket, one of our very favorite spots. Last week it was brimming with rows of colorful offerings, from whole watermelons, to rich red strawberries, to shiny blackberries. The peaches looked especially rosy and inviting too, coming from hotter climates than our New England shoreline.

It will be a few months before our own peach tree bears anything remotely worth sampling (they’re about the size of golf balls at the moment) so we picked up some market-variety fresh peaches. They looked good too, not like the ‘rocks’ you sometimes buy and bring home, only to get mushy as they ripen.

We sliced some up for breakfast. But before they got too ripe, we decided to combine them with some bread slices that were screaming, “Make us into bread pudding.” Bread does that in my kitchen. In a pinch you could also use frozen peaches, but thaw them first and add a little sugar. We thank our friends Anne and Moe from the CookbooksEtCetera cookbook collector’s group on the Web for contributing this recipe.

PEACH BREAD PUDDING

2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk, scalded

1-1/4 cups water

4 thick slices buttered bread, cubed

1-1/4 cups ripe fresh peaches, peeled, sliced & sugared

Beat eggs with sugar, flavorings, and salt. Combine the milk and water; beat into the egg mixture. In a greased 1-1/2-quart casserole, layer the bread, milk mixture, and peaches until all ingredients are used. Set casserole in a pan of hot water and bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serves 6.

Fourth of July bread pudding is colorful holiday treat

2008-06-29T17:24:00.005-04:00

The Fourth of July is almost here, and that means lots of good down-home food. We’ll be at a family gathering where everyone will pitch in to bring one of their specialties. I usually just volunteer “whatever’s needed.” Which could be anything from banana muffins to, believe it or not, my current favorite dish, a corn and bean salsa that’s out of this world.

But I digress. The topic here is still bread pudding. And for the Fourth, we’ve conjured up a decorative and delish red-white-and-blue offering that’s made from fresh summer fruits – strawberries, raspberries, and blues. Sweet and plump fresh strawberries have been at their peak for picking in this part of the northeast US, so we couldn’t resist adding them to this wonderful dish. I have such fun creating these new versions of bread pudding, and if I do say so myself, this is one of the best! You can double it too, and bake it in a larger container to serve a larger group.

Here’s to a happy and safe Fourth!

FOURTH OF JULY BREAD PUDDING

3 slices day-old Italian bread, cubed (about 1 cup
1/2 cup (generous) mixture of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries
2 large eggs
1/2 cup half & half OR heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Dash cinnamon
Cinnamon/sugar

Place bread cubes in bottom of buttered or cooking-sprayed 1-1/2-pint (3-cup) baking dish. Add fresh fruit, tossing with bread to combine. In bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half or cream, sugar, vanilla, and melted butter. Stir in cinnamon. Pour liquid over bread mixture in pan.
Let sit about 30 minutes to allow bread to absorb liquid. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven about 45 minutes or until pudding is firm and slightly browned on top. Serve warm or at room temp topped with whipped cream and some fresh berries on the side. Serves 4.

Spicy apple bread pudding is old-fashioned favorite

2008-06-28T22:28:00.003-04:00

There’s something about an apple dessert that conjures up memories of great aromas coming from the kitchen. Add some spices such as cinnamon and ginger, and then a little molasses and it gets even better.

We couldn’t wait to try this wonderful sounding bread pudding that was sent to us from Nancy Bascom, who’s a member of the AkakaFallsInn_Hawaii group on the Web. Now, granted, apples don’t turn up on lists of fruits that are native to Hawaii, but since we were discussing bread puddings, people managed to find recipes they hadn’t seen in a long time and that were tucked away in drawers or cookbooks. Nancy said she has had this recipe for so many years, she can’t remember where it came from originally. Obviously it’s a keeper!

SPICY APPLE BREAD PUDDING

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups scalded milk
2 cups bread cubes
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Dash of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs, beaten

Mix apples, brown sugar, 1/4 cup nuts, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Put in buttered 2-quart casserole. Mix milk and bread cubes together. Mix remaining nuts, cinnamon, and other ingredients; stir into milk mixture. Spoon bread/milk onto mixture in casserole. Set in pan of warm water and bake at 305 degrees F. for 50 to 60 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Fresh lemon sauce puts bread pudding over the top

2008-06-18T12:16:00.003-04:00

There’s something about summer and lemons. Their gentle fragrance cools you even on the most sultry days. Add a slice of fresh lemon to iced tea or water, squirt some lemon on some shrimp kabobs, or enjoy real lemonade made with real lemons. Just the scent of lemon is refreshing.

We also like to make a lovely fresh lemon sauce to spoon over a warm bread pudding. Nothing too complex about the pudding – just our basic favorites: milk, eggs, stale bread, sugar, and some spices. The lemon sauce takes it over the top – just like the Boston Celtics did last night – yay, Boston, champs again after 22 years!

BREAD PUDDING & LEMON SAUCE

1 loaf day-old French bread, broken into pieces
1/3 cup golden raisins
Cooking spray
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups (1 quart) whole milk
Cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Pudding: Scatter bread pieces and raisins in cooking-sprayed 9x13-inch baking pan. Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk, and spices. Pour liquid mixture evenly over bread. Let stand about 1/2 hour for bread to absorb liquid. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven for 1 hour or until pudding puffs up and browns slightly on top. Serve warm or at room temp with warm sauce.
Sauce: Melt butter in pan on stove or in microwave. Stir in confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice; whisk together until smooth. Thin out with a little water if sauce is too thick.

Rich bread pudding with rum sauce is crowd pleaser in New Orleans

2008-06-17T12:08:00.002-04:00

Great cooks seem to gravitate to New Orleans. One of them, Pepe, has created his own wonderful bread pudding that he tops with a delectable rum sauce. Recently, while feeling a little adventurous (and what good cook isn’t?), he added some coconut milk and flakes to his basic recipe and served it to a crowd. “There were no leftovers,” says Pepe.

His original version, however, which is rich with rum, raisins, and almonds, is printed below. His wife claims that the pudding has so much flavor that it doesn’t need the sauce. But Pepe finds the sauce makes it even better.

Pepe says his favorite dessert, in addition to ice cream, is bread pudding. He recalls his own mother’s bread pudding, which she made in Cuba using bread crumbs, fresh orange juice, raisins, and caramelized sugar. (Just the thought of these ingredients makes our heart beat a little faster!) Of course, like most of our moms, who were good cooks, she didn’t write anything down. He hopes to experiment and duplicate his mom’s bread pudding one of these days when he has some free time. Mahalo Pepe for sharing your excellent bread pudding!

PEPE’S BREAD PUDDING & RUM SAUCE

1 loaf French bread, cut into cubes
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups of sugar
13 ounces evaporated milk
3 cups milk
1 can condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup raisins
4 ounces dark rum
2 ounces slivered almonds

Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with water. Combine eggs with sugar and mix well. Add milks, cinnamon, and vanilla, blending well. Stir in butter. Stir in rum. Sprinkle raisins and almonds over the bread cubes. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes.

RUM SAUCE
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup evaporated milk
3 Tbsp rum
Combine butter, flour, and sugar in a saucepan. Gradually add milks, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Serve hot over bread pudding.

Pina Colada Bread Pudding parfait is summer dessert perfection

2008-06-13T11:25:00.003-04:00

Could there possibly be too much bread pudding? We enjoyed the pina colada version for dessert yesterday, and also for snacks, and even shared some with neighbors. We munched on some with our morning coffee. And we drizzled chocolate syrup on it just for a change. But there’s still some left over. Time to brainstorm ……….

It’s pudding parfait time!!

We layered chocolate sauce, pudding, and whipped cream in a champagne glass, then topped it with some chopped macadamias and a little crushed pineapple. Ahhhhhhhhh. I’m in love again.

BREAD PUDDING PARFAIT

1 cup of bread pudding (or whatever is left)
1/4 cup chocolate, butterscotch, or another favorite sauce
Whipped cream or topping
Nuts, sprinkles, or chopped fruit for garnish

In tall stemmed glass, layer sauce, bread pudding, and whipped cream for a few layers. Top with whipped cream and garnish of your choice.
© 2008 Recipe by Portia Little

'Calypso' bread pudding is low-cal version of Pina Colada dessert

2008-06-12T11:16:00.003-04:00

We must admit we did indulge ourselves in the Pina Colada bread pudding yesterday. Who could resist something so fragrant with pineapple and bananas and rum?

Today, however, as we contemplate the prospects of wearing a bathing suit to the beach, we’re thinking of a slimmer version of this bread pudding that’s rich in flavor, but lower in calories.

Created by JoAnna Lund, author of numerous diet cookbooks, today’s recipe for Calypso Bread Pudding uses JoAnna Lund’s Healthy Exchanges® method of exchanging one ingredient for a healthier choice. JoAnna, who passed away about a year ago, considered bread pudding to be her “absolute favorite dessert.”

JoAnna remarked about this recipe, which appears in Cooking Healthy with a Man in Mind (1997, Healthy Exchanges, Inc.): “The rum flavor and plump raisins in this version will make every man’s heart beat fast, his hips sway, and his feet want to tap tap tap!” She indeed had a way with words as well as recipes.

In memory of JoAnna Lund and all of our special family members and friends who we have lost to cancer, we are participating in the Cook for the Cure fight against breast cancer. I encourage you to check out this link and to send in a donation.

CALYPSO BREAD PUDDING
(from Cooking Healthy with a Man in Mind by JoAnna Lund)

1 (4-serving) package Jello sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
2/3 cup Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk powder
1 cup (one 8-ounce can) crushed pineapple, packed in fruit juice, undrained
1-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup raisins
8 slices reduced-calorie white bread, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8-inch baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray. In large saucepan combine dry pudding mix, milk powder, undrained pineapple, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens and starts to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut extract and raisins. Add bread pieces. Mix gently to combine Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle coconut over top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Divide into 6 servings.
Each serving equals:
HE: 1 fruit, 2/3 Bread, 1/2 Skim Milk, 13 optional calories
164 Calories, 0 gm Fat, 7 gm Protein, 34 gm Carbohydrate, 240 mg Sodium, 1 gm Fiber
Diabetic: 1 Fruit, 1 Starch

Enjoy Pina Coladas in bread pudding form

2008-06-11T13:00:00.003-04:00

It’s time to enjoy our favorite summer drinks. But why not try them out a new format?

Did we say ‘bread pudding’? You bet your dog days of summer we did! Today’s bread pudding is enhanced with the wonderful ingredients from that tropical beverage – pineapple, cream of coconut, and rum, and laced with a fragrant raisin-pineapple-lemon-peel mixture that’s absolutely divine.

And one of the best parts about this one is that you don’t have to heat up the house to make it. Put the ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning, then let ‘er go on LOW for several hours. Or on HIGH for a while, then down to LOW for the grand finale. As with all the slow cooker puddings, or in fact any slow cooker recipe, I always like to check from time to time to make sure it’s not clinging to the edges or getting too crusty.

I made some changes to this basic recipe when I put it together today. For one thing, I did not remove the crusts from the bread – like who, on a hot day or any day, is going to bother! And I for one do like some ‘crusty’ texture in my bread pudding. Also, I found that you really don’t have to puree all the liquid ingredients and bananas separately – just toss them all in the blender or food processer together and blend until they get to the puree stage. If your puree machine doesn’t hold all these ingredients in one batch, however, just do them in two separate blendings. The point I’m trying to make is that you don’t have to measure out exactly half the liquid each time.

We’ll have to be patient. We started this one around noon, so it won’t be ready until almost suppertime. Here’s to beating the heat and summer bread puddings!

PINA COLADA BREAD PUDDING

1 10-ounce can frozen pina colada drink mix
1 6-ounce can pineapple juice
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup cream of coconut
2 bananas, sliced
3 eggs
1/4 cup light rum OR 1/3 cup Irish cream
1 cup golden raisins
1 8-oounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 loaf French bread, crusts removed, cubed (about 6 cups)

In blender or food processor, puree half of following: drink mix, pineapple juice, evaporated milk, cream of coconut, and bananas; pour into large bowl. Puree remaining half of liquid ingredients with eggs and liqueur. Combine purees.

In bowl, combine raisins, pineapple with juice, and lemon peel; set aside. Place about two thirds of bread cubes in slow cooker that has been buttered or sprayed with cooking spray. Top with 1 cup raisin-pineapple-lemon peel mixture. Top with remaining bread, then remaining raisin mixture. Pour pureed ingredients over all. Poke in several places with knife to release air bubbles and make sure liquid and bread are combined. Cook on LOW about 6 hours. OR, cook on HIGH for 2 hours, then LOW for 2 to 3 more hours, or until pudding is puffy and slightly browned on top, and set. Serves 8-10.

Slow cooker bread pudding with vanilla sauce beats the heat

2008-06-09T22:17:00.003-04:00

We complained when it was too cold not long ago, and now it’s pay-back time. In the northeast corner of the US, we’re sweltering with high temps and humidity. And even though I’m not a big fan of AC, right now it feels pretty darn good. Even here on the New England shore, the ocean breezes seem to be on vacation.

But, the quest for bread pudding must go on!

Thankfully there are other ways to cook up a delicious pudding without heating up the oven. Today’s treat, which you can top with a wonderful vanilla sauce, “bakes” nicely in the slow cooker. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on this one toward the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t get too crispy around the edges. Also, you can sub another one of your favorite dried fruits for the raisins, such as cranberries, cherries, or apples.

I’m grateful to all the folks who sent me this recipe. I guess I’m not the only one who’s in heat. Well, uh, over bread pudding that is …

BREAD PUDDING WITH VANILLA SAUCE IN SLOW COOKER

Pudding:
8 cups cubed day-old bread
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup raisins

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Put bread in slow cooker. Combine next 6 ingredients, beat until smooth. Stir in raisins. Pour over bread and stir gently. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Watch so it doesn't get too hot and get crispy around the edges.

Vanilla Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla, or to taste

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add water, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Pineapple bread pudding is tropical weather reminder

2008-06-08T20:46:00.003-04:00

The weather was so hot and steamy here over the weekend that it was almost tropical. Sunny and in the nineties. Where were those ocean breezes hiding? We had to enjoy it, however, because, this being New England, we knew it could turn to raw and nasty overnight.

It seemed the right time to make a bread pudding with pineapple, that sweet, fragrant fruit from Hawaii.

Morning is a nice time to fit in some baking before the temps heat up outside. We were delighted to find this easy-prep bread pudding recipe, sent to us from Betty from California via the Akaka Falls Inn Hawaii group on the Web. We put it together right after breakfast, starting out as you would making a cake, beating the butter, sugar, and eggs together with an electric mixer. Then it’s a snap to fold in the bread, pineapple, and nuts, and the oven does the rest.

A little dab of whipped cream will do ya to top it off (and those of you who don’t remember that ‘little dab’ll do ya’ commercial are just babies). Thanks Betty for sharing this recipe.

PINEAPPLE BREAD PUDDING
(From Diana Rattray, Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple, drained (14 ounces)
2 cups French bread cubes (about 1/2-inch pieces)
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

In large bowl with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar and cinnamon about 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Add eggs; beat on high speed 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Fold in remaining ingredients; pour into greased 1-1/2-quart casserole. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 4.

Blueberry French toast is make-ahead brunch dish

2008-06-06T21:06:00.003-04:00

When blueberry season arrives here in New England, we’ll be ready. Lately we’ve come across a wealth of blueberry bread pudding recipes, enough to keep our teeth and tongue blue for a long time.

The sweet blues are a natural for adding to bread pudding. There’s no peeling or chopping involved – just pop them into a baking dish with the usual suspects: bread, milk or cream, eggs, a sweetener and a dash of spice. Of course, there’s nothing like the sweet fresh blueberries that you pick yourself. Our backyard blueberry bush is full of blossoms so we hope to have a good crop this year. But they won’t be ready for picking until mid to late summer, so for now we’ll have to settle for the packaged ones at the super.

This recipe caught my eye because you can make it ahead to bake in the morning for breakfast or brunch. And while the title designates this dish as “French toast,” with the cubed bread, as opposed to slices, it seems more pudding than toast to me.

I have to thank my friend Kathy Jorgensen from California for sending me this recipe. Her input after testing the recipe was most helpful too. She felt there was too much cream cheese, and while it was tasty, she’d cut down on the cheese in the future. She also added an extra cup of berries, and shared the dish with some friends, who liked it also.

With her comments in mind, I then adapted my own smaller version, which I’ve also included following the original recipe. I used bread slices, which I spread with cream cheese, but I did maintain the 1 cup of berries. It was delicious too, so now we have two recipes to choose from.

BLUEBERRY SURPRISE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
(from Taste of the Midwest by Midwest Living)

Makes 8 servings Prep: 20 minutes

Chill: 2 hours Bake: 25 minutes

12 slices dry white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

12 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup

Blueberry-flavored, maple, or maple-flavored syrup

1. Place half the bread cubes over bottom of well-buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish (3-quart rectangular). Sprinkle cream cheese and blueberries over bread cubes. Arrange remaining bread cubes over blueberries.

2. In large mixing bowl, beat eggs with rotary beater; beat in milk and the 1/2 cup syrup. Carefully pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.

3. Bake, covered, in 375-degree F. oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes more or until knife inserted near center comes out clean, and topping is puffed and golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with blueberry-flavored or maple syrup. Makes 8 servings.

*Note: To dry bread slices: Arrange bread in single layer on wire rack; cover loosely and let stand overnight. Or cut bread with 1/2-inch cubes; spread in large baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in 300-degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until dry, stirring twice; cool. Nutrition facts per serving: calories: 503 total fat: 30g cholesterol: 386mg sodium: 497mg carbohydrate: 40g fiber: 1g protein: 19g

BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE ADAPTED

4 slices Italian bread, enough to fit in 2 layers in bottom of casserole dish
2 ounces cream cheese, softened, or enough to spread thickly on bread slices
1 cup blueberries
4 large eggs
1 cup milk or cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Cinnamon-sugar

Cover bottom of buttered 1-1/2-quart casserole with 1 layer of bread slices, which have been spread with cream cheese. Sprinkle blueberries on top. Add second layer of bread slices. Whisk together eggs, milk or cream, and maple syrup. Pour over bread. Let sit about an hour or overnight. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar. Bake in 350-degree F. oven for 45-60 minutes, or until puffed and browned on top. Serves 4.

(Recipe adapted from Blueberry Surprise French Toast Casserole by Portia Little)

Donut bread pudding honors National Donut Day

2008-06-06T10:30:00.002-04:00

Who’d ever have thought there would be a day to celebrate a donut? Not that I don’t think it’s a good idea. In fact, I’m always happy to sing the praises of my favorites, starting with the jelly donut, bursting with red jelly oozing out of that little hole in the bottom. Then there’s the honey dip, or glazed, depending on where you’re from, in either regular or chocolate. And the classic dipping donut, plain, but certainly not ordinary in flavor, and great with your favorite cuppa.

And as if they weren’t absolutely terrific just on their own, some clown decided to take some stale donuts – like who has donuts left over to get stale? – and make them into bread pudding!

The recipe apparently caught on, though, and it made the rounds a few years ago. With the unlikely combo of stale donuts, fruit cocktail (yep, that canned stuff with the little square peaches), and condensed milk, this is seriously sweet bread pudding. And to top it off, there’s a Butter Rum Sauce – well, now you’re talking!

Here’s to National Donut Day!!!

DONUT BREAD PUDDING

2 dozen stale donuts, any kind you like
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 4.5-ounce cans fruit cocktail, undrained
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
Dash salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Butter Rum Sauce (recipe below)

Break donuts into chunks and place in 9x13-inch glass buttered baking dish. Mix together condensed milk, fruit cocktail, eggs, salt, and cinnamon; pour over donuts. Let sit about 30 minutes, pushing down donuts into liquid. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven about 60 minutes. Serve warm topped with Butter Rum Sauce. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

BUTTER RUM SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons rum (or to taste)

In saucepan, melt butter and slowly stir in powdered sugar and rum. Heat until mixture bubbles.

M.F.K. Fisher's bread pudding was "innocent"?

2008-06-05T14:13:00.003-04:00

Reading M.F.K. Fisher is a trip.

We are enthralled with the food and travel memories of Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher (1908-1992), who, in her gastronomic prose, addressed wartime shortages in How to Cook a Wolf, the sexual habits of the oyster in Consider the Oyster, and enjoying simple fresh food in Alphabet for Gourmets. I could read these books over and over again.

Mary Frances also enjoyed bread pudding.

In her later years, while living in a custom-designed one-person house on a ranch in Sonoma Valley, California, she’d sit on her porch and sip her favorite white wine/Campari while enjoying the “innocent sky” of a sunset. She also liked to serve a bread pudding, which she described as “innocent,” to her guests before they retired for the night. With the addition of wine, rum, or some kind of booze, perhaps this dessert was not as “innocent” as she claimed.

And while her bread pudding could most likely be baked in a moderate oven, M.F.K. chose to have hers cooked in a double boiler over low heat. In those days she would often direct guests and others to help prepare her food. After this delicacy, slumberland was calling.

Here is a sentiment from M.F.K. to enjoy with our bread pudding:
“First we eat, then we do everything else.”
That about says it all for today.

M.F.K. FISHER’S BREAD PUDDING
(as dictated by M.F.K. Fisher to Barbara Quick)

4 slices dry French bread
Sweet butter
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup water or wine or booze, approximately
2 eggs
1 pint (2 cups) milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or rum
1/2 cup brown sugar
Nutmeg
Cream

Thickly butter 4 slices of dry French bread (it should be sweet butter and bread that has some substance – no limp white bread for this). Cut it into bite-size pieces.
Plump a half a cup of raisins in water or wine or booze. Beat two eggs in a pint of milk. Add some vanilla or rum, and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
Put half of the bread nibbles in the top of a double boiler. Add half the raisins and half the liquid. Then add the rest of the bread, raisins, and liquid. Put some nutmeg on top.
Cover closely. Put over generously boiling water. Turn down the heat. Don’t peek for 70 minutes. Then take the lid off, let the pudding cool, and turn it out onto a pudding dish. Serve with cream. Serves 4.
(Recipe found in Wild Women in the Kitchen – 101 Rambunctious Recipes & 99 Tasty Tales)

Tomato Brie Bread Pudding is lunch tomorrow

2008-06-04T22:47:00.000-04:00

It’s not often that you see tomatoes as an ingredient in bread pudding. In fact, Jesse Ziff Cool, the author of the cookbook, Tomatoes, A Country Garden Cookbook ( © 1994, Collins Publishers, San Francisco), writes that “Even mentioning tomatoes in bread pudding brings looks of chagrin.” She adds further, however: “I know if I could get the skeptics to take just one bite they would be sold forever.”

So, I was convinced. Decided to give it a try for lunch tomorrow. The Brie, celery, and onions sound like a good balance for the acidity of the tomatoes.

We heard about this cookbook and recipe in a review by Beverly Woike of Ohio, another friend of ours on the Internet cookbook collectors’ group, CookbooksEtCetera. When you join this group, you find out about cookbooks you never even know existed. We’ve learned too about some great sources for cookbook finds such as yard sales, library book sales, and flea markets. And we’ve added shelves in our house to accommodate our growing collection. That’s what happens when you join this group. It's almost as addictive as bread pudding.

Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. I plan to use stale Italian bread in this recipe rather than the soft white called for in the recipe. I have a mountain of Italian bread in my freezer just begging to be made into bread pudding. In fact, when I open my freezer door, the breads look at me and say, “Hey, when’s our turn?”

Honest they do. Spooky the cat will back me up on this. Here’s to tomato bread pudding!

TOMATO BRIE BREAD PUDDING
(from Tomatoes, A Country Garden Cookbook, by Jesse Ziff Cool)

6 lightly packed cups of soft white bread
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
8 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, homemade or canned

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Break bread into small pieces and place in large bowl. In medium saucepan, saute onions and celery in butter over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauteed mixture over bread and toss.
Butter 2-quart baking dish. Spread layer of bread mixture on bottom. Cover with layer of tomatoes and a third of the cheese. Continue layering, ending up with a layer of bread mixture on top.
In small bowl, whisk together eggs and 1 cup chicken stock. Pour over dish. All bread should be lightly moistened. Add more stock if necessary. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until pudding is fluffy, firm and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. This bread pudding is also great when served at room temperature. Serves 6.

Mexican bread pudding with cheese is sure to please

2008-06-04T20:08:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I wish there were a way to transmit a lovely scent from my kitchen into cyberspace and have it arrive in someone’s e-mail box. As the recipient, you could turn it on or off as you wished, like your volume. If you liked chocolate, you could just inhale the aroma of those gooey brownies and not risk the tasting calories. And if you couldn’t stand scallops, you could just adjust the odor knob to zero.

Today’s bread pudding filled the house with such an incredible aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon that I wished I could have shared it with you all. The recipe comes from Anne Murch Guiterrez, who’s waving from South Texas. She adapted this recipe for Capirotada con Queso, or Mexican Bread Pudding with Cheese, from a source that she has lost track of – one of those recipes you keep in your drawer and remember to try long after you have copied it.

One nice thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to heat up the whole house while the pudding bakes in the oven. It’s done in just minutes in the microwave. And even though this dish contains a whole cup of grated Cheddar, that flavor is masked by the spices, raisins, and brown sugar. It just adds to the richness. Anne suggests using good-quality Cheddar when you make this dish because some of the pre-packaged brands of grated cheese can produce an oily result.

I tested this recipe this morning, assembling the ingredients in order ahead of time so they were ready to nuke and mix when ready. The pudding set nicely and pulled away from the edges of the pan. I didn’t have a glass or ceramic pan with a center post, so I set a small glass filled part way with water in the center, which worked just fine. Also, I checked the pudding for doneness along the final nuking step, taking it out after it was firm. I think this sweet treat would be wonderful topped with a big scoop of good vanilla ice cream.

Thanks Anne for sharing your delectable bread pudding!

CAPIROTADA CON QUESO (Mexican Bread Pudding with Cheese)
(Recipe adapted by Anne Murch Gutierrez)

2 cups milk
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, cubed and softened
5 slices lightly toasted white bread or French bread, cubed
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

In 2- or 4-cup glass measuring cup, stir together milk and cream cheese. Microwave on HIGH 4 minutes, stirring once. Place bread cubes in well-buttered 2-quart microwave-safe dish. (Note: use a dish with a center post; or place a small glass or custard dish in the center.) Pour hot milk mixture over bread cubes and let soak 10 minutes.
Micromelt butter in 4 cup measuring cup on HIGH 1 minute or less, until melted. Stir in brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and beaten eggs, mix well. Add vanilla, pecan, and raisins. Pour mixture, along with shredded Cheddar cheese, over bread cubes and stir lightly until blended. Microwave on HIGH 7-8 minutes. If needed, rotate dish 3 or 4 times. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Banana bread pudding has tropical flavor

2008-06-01T23:03:00.002-04:00

As I skated in a nearby park today, I wondered what it would be like to live in a tropical Paradise such as Hawaii where the weather was warm and balmy every day.

Here in New England, after a cool spring, we’re just starting to enjoy outside activities without wearing a coat. So on this fair, sunny afternoon I dreamed about distant lands and also the fresh produce that’s available to enjoy in spectacular cuisine.

Our good friend, Hawaii food columnist, and cookbook author Sonia Martinez has compiled her food articles and recipes, which were originally published in The Hamakua Times, into a cookbook, Tropical Taste. After growing up in Cuba, Sonia found, on moving to Hawaii, many of the same varieties of exotic fruits and vegetables she was familiar with.

In an article titled “Going Bananas,” she discusses the two major groups of dessert bananas in Hawaii, the Cavendish and the Brazilian. She also includes a wonderful recipe for banana bread pudding and a banana sauce to top it off. Mahalo Sonia!!

BANANA BREAD PUDDING
(from Tropical Taste cookbook by Sonia Martinez)

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Vegetable pan spray
2 slices day-old whole wheat or raisin bread
1 small banana, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 eggs
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract
Ground cinnamon, optional
(Banana Sauce below)

Lightly coat 4 (6-ounce) custard cups with cooking spray. Into each cup, tear 1/2 slice of bread into cubes. Add 4 to 5 banana slices in each cup. Place cups in large baking pan, filled with about one inch hot water.
In covered blender container or medium bowl, blend or beat together well eggs, sugar, milk, and flavoring until well blended. Pour over bread and bananas. With back of spoon, press bread and bananas below custard. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Refrigerate several hours or overnight OR bake immediately in 350-degree F. oven until knife inserted near center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove; cool on wire rack 5-10 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

BANANA SAUCE
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 bananas, sliced
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch salt

Boil 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water to make syrup, until it threads. Remove from heat. Add banana slices. Add lemon juice and well-beaten eggs. Add pinch salt and mash and beat it all together until smooth. (You can use a blender.) This sauce is wonderful over the banana bread pudding.

Bread pudding "pears" with pecans for breakfast

2008-06-01T11:06:00.006-04:00

Knowing I had to get away at the crack of dawn the other day, I needed to plan a breakfast that would take a minimum of effort. Bearing in mind that I’m usually comatose before my a.m. java ingestion takes effect. Cold cereal? No way.

I consulted with my kitchen companion and culinary advisor, Spooky the tuxedo cat, who pointed to the remains of some great Italian bread on the kitchen counter that had come from our open hearth wood-fired bakery in town. Aha! With creative juices flowing, I added chunks of the bread to a ceramic casserole dish. In the fridge was a lovely Anjou pear, which I chopped up and tossed in with the bread. After pouring on the egg/milk mixture I decided it needed a crunch factor, so I topped it all with some whole Georgia pecans.

I’d added pears to a bread pudding only once before and had forgotten how wonderful they can be – more subtle than tangy apples and with a delicate sweetness. You don’t even need to peel them, which is a plus too. Breakfast hasn’t been that good in a long time. Well, uh, since I had my last breakfast bread pudding!

PEAR PECAN BREAD PUDDING

1-1/2 cups dry Italian bread, town into pieces
1 small firm pear, unpeeled, diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk, or half & half, or heavy cream
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (about) pecans – in large chunks or kept whole
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Sugar/cinnamon

Spray ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Toss in bread pieces and diced pears. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk or cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour liquid over bread/pear mixture. Top with pecans, drizzle with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon. Let sit about 1/2 hour. Bake in 350-degree F. oven for 45-60 minutes or until puffed and browned on top. Serves 2-4.
© 2008, Recipe by Portia Little.

Caramel croissant bread pudding is quick fix

2008-05-28T21:35:00.002-04:00

One amazing thing about the Internet is the number of friends you meet from all over the universe. Just plug a hobby (read obsession) into your browser, such as scuba diving, reading mysteries, or, as in my case, making bread pudding, and you have a bunch of fellow enthusiasts knocking at your door. Well, maybe not quite that close, but they’re at least within reaching distance of your computer keyboard.

One such friend is Kathy Jorgensen of California who I met while discussing cookbooks on CookbooksEtCetera, a cookbook collectors’ group on Yahoo. Soon we found we also enjoyed collecting recipes, including some scrumptious desserts, and she shared a recipe she had found for bread pudding made with croissants, bourbon, and an incredible sounding caramel sauce.

And, surprisingly, this pudding is a quick and easy dish for today’s busy cook, created by the popular British cook, Nigella Lawson, also known as the Domestic Goddess (gee whiz, why doesn’t anyone refer to me that way?). Lawson is noted for her hands on, not fussy cooking, and eating well when time is short.

I have to admit this one is in my “to try” pile, and I hope to get to it soon. And with Nigella as a source you can’t go wrong.

CARAMEL CROISSANT PUDDING
(from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson)
2 stale croissants
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons bourbon (or rum)
2 eggs, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish; I use a cast-iron oval one with a capacity of about 2 cups for this.
3. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the burner over medium to high heat.
4. Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away until it all turns a deep amber color; this will take 3-5 minutes. Keep looking but don't be too timid.
5. Turn heat down to low and add the cream-ignoring all spluttering-and, whisking in the milk and bourbon. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs. Pour the caramel bourbon over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes if the croissants are very stale.
6. Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes and prepare to swoon.
Serves 2 greedy people

White chocolate bread pudding New Orleans style is a Palace Cafe tradition

2008-05-26T12:27:00.002-04:00

What better way to wind up this holiday weekend than with one incredible bread pudding! And it’s from a place where bread pudding reigns supreme – New Orleans. This family specialty, definitely not your ‘usual’ offering, is a featured dessert at the acclaimed Palace Café, located on historic Canal Street. The Brennan family shares their recipe for White Chocolate Bread Pudding in their cookbook, Palace Café: The Flavor of New Orleans.

We thank Pepe, who gets to enjoy New Orleans cuisine every day in that “kingdom of great food,” for alerting us to this outstanding recipe.

As for calories? Don’t even think about it!

WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
(from Palace Café: The Flavor of New Orleans)
12 Servings

6 cups whipping cream
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
20 ounces white chocolate (broken into small pieces)
4 each whole eggs
15 each egg yolks
24-inch loaf French bread (use stale bread)
For White Chocolate Sauce:
8 ounces white chocolate (broken into small pieces)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 ounce dark chocolate (grated for garnish)

To Prepare Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat the whipping cream, milk, and sugar over medium heat. When hot, take off the heat and add the white chocolate pieces; stir until melted. Combine the whole eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the eggs in a steady stream, whipping the eggs as you pour. Place the stale sliced bread in the pan. Pour 1/2 the bread pudding mix over the bread. Use your fingers to press the bread into the mix so that it absorbs the liquid and becomes soggy. Pour in the remaining mix. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue to bake for 1/2 hour until it is set and golden brown.
To Prepare Sauce: Bring the cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Take off the heat and add white chocolate; stir until smooth and completely melted. Spoon over bread pudding.
To Serve: Serve the bread pudding warm, spooned right out of the pan with the sauce and chocolate sprinkles on top.

Brunch bread pudding says 'cheese'

2008-05-22T20:50:00.002-04:00

Spring posies were in glorious array in southern New Hampshire where I attended a writers’ conference last weekend. Creative energy blossomed forth there also, with poets and writers of both fiction and nonfiction sharing their best work.

At the workshop on food writing, presenter Rachel Forrest entertained us with tales of her experiences as restaurant critic and reporter on the local food scene. As food and dining editor for Seacoast Media Group in Portsmouth, restaurant critic for The Portsmouth Herald, and columnist and radio commentator, Rachel has a wealth of knowledge. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and Internet publications. (For info, check out www.workitmom.com/interview-63, or www.seacoastonline.com.)

She also brought some goodies for us to sample – an olive oil crisp bread, chocolate pizzelle, and chunks of piquant aged Parmesan. Of course, my one-track mind immediately turned to bread pudding. Wondering how I could include these items in a bread pudding creation, or at least serve them as an aside.

Later at home I found a terrific brunch recipe that features Parmesan cheese along with some Brie and pork sausage. The recipe source, The Life of the Party cookbook, published by the Junior League of Tampa, calls it a soufflé, but we know better – it’s really a bread pudding in disguise.

This one’s for you, Rachel. Thanks for the inspiration!

BRIE AND SAUSAGE BRUNCH SOUFFLE
(from The Life of the Party, by the junior League of Tampa Culinary Collection, 2003)

6 slices white bread
1 pound hot bulk pork sausage, browned, drained
3/4 pound Brie cheese, rind removed, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups milk
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 eggs
1 cup whipping cream

Trim crusts from bread slices and place crusts evenly on bottom of lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer bread slices, sausage, Brie, and Parmesan in baking dish. Whisk 5 eggs and 2 cups whipping cream in bowl. Add milk, sage, seasoned salt, and dry mustard; mix well. Pour over bread layers. Chill, covered, for 8 hours. Whisk 2 eggs and 1 cup whipping cream in bowl. Pour over prepared layers. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour or until center is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. You may substitute half & half for whipping cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Yard-sale bread pudding celebrates weekend ritual

2008-05-18T17:49:00.003-04:00

Some sure signs of a spring weekend are posted on poles, trees, and in front lawns here in our Rhode Island seashore community. And even the Today Show had a feature this morning on that familiar ritual where folks attempt to get rid of the flotsam and jetsam that’s been tucked away in closets, basements, and shelves. Yard sales are in full swing.

In our own kitchen also we have odds and ends – a whole-grain-bread heel, a handful of granola, half a Gala apple sitting in a plastic bag in the fridge – that need to be either used or tossed. Tossed? Did we say tossed? Not when there’s a bread pudding panting to use up these ingredients. And, in fact, that was the idea behind the original bread puddings – a way to use up stale bread and other foods to provide an economical and tasty dish.

So, here goes. We cut up the bread heel into chunks and tossed it into a casserole dish along with some blueberry granola and some cut-up apple chunks. The granola, which I made a few weeks ago, contains rolled oats, cashew halves, sunflower seeds, molasses, and honey. And, because I added no additional sweetener to the custard mixture, I decided to add the remaining contents from a bag of mini chocolate chips. Okay, actually I can always find an excuse to use chocolate.

So this is oddball collection of ingredients. But isn’t that what yard sales are all about? Thebookcase with the warped shelves, the antique lamp with the crack in the base, and that collection of old National Geographics.

As I write this, the pudding is about to come out of the oven.It’s puffing up, looking good. Hooray for the yard sale for providing the inspiration for this new creation.

YARD SALE BREAD PUDDING

Cooking spray
1 end slice (heel) from 15-grain, whole grain bread (almost a cup)
1/2 cup blueberry granola (or granola of your choice)
1/3 cup chopped apple (with skins on if you’d like)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups 1 percent milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon melted butter
Cinnamon-sugar

Spray a 1-1/2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Scatter bottom of dish with bread cubes, granola, chopped apples, and chocolate chips. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle top with melted butter, then cinnamon-sugar to taste. Let mixture stand about 30 minutes to let bread absorb liquid. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until pudding is puffy, firm, and browned on top. Serve warm or at room temp with topping of your choice such as whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 4.
© 2008, Recipe by Portia Little.

Low-cal pretzel bread pudding is chocolate lover's delight

2008-05-14T14:15:00.001-04:00

One of the myths about bread puddings is that they’re off the high-calorie charts. Off limits to dieters.

And alas it is true that many, if not most, bread puddings contain rich ingredients such as cream, eggs, and butter that are a no-no to someone watching his or her weight. But occasionally a gem of a recipe comes along, such as today’s Philly Pretzel Bread Pudding, that’s not only delicious but is also a mere 190 calories per serving.

We found this recipe on an index card last night while trying to sort through the jungle of recipes we’ve clipped and saved over time. I must have taken it from Cooking Smart magazine, which I subscribed to for a time. A check on the Web, however, reveals that this publication has ceased publication. But at least we have retained one of its great recipes. Here’s to bread pudding, and also keeping fit!

PHILLY PRETZEL BREAD PUDDING
(from Cooking Smart magazine)

Vegetable oil cooking spray
6 Philadelphia-style soft pretzels (frozen is okay; thaw first)
1-1/2 cups liquid egg substitute
2-1/2 cups nonfat milk
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Poke holes in soft pretzels with fork, then cut or break pretzels into 1-inch pieces, and place in baking dish.
Whisk together egg substitute, nonfat milk, chocolate syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon; mix well. Pour over pretzels; stir to coat. Let stand for 1 hour to allow pretzels to absorb some of the liquid mixture.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cover baking dish with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until browned and puffed and knife comes out clean.
Serves 12.
Per serving: 190 calories, 36 calories from fat, 4g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 31 carbs, 1g fiber, 8g protein, 410mg sodium, 321mg calcium, 4mg iron.

Hot dog bun bread pudding is post-party favorite

2008-05-12T16:09:00.005-04:00

We partied on yesterday.

It was the best Mom’s Day ever, with my three offspring and their spouses here along with their (collective) six kids as well as my daughter’s MIL and husband (would that be DMIL+H ?), Jan and John. We never lack for fabulous food and yesterday was no exception. With perfect cookout weather, Bob and John handled the grill chores, cranking out the burgers and franks. To go along we enjoyed Jan’s strawberry-spinach salad, my home-made bean salsa (for Dave), and lotsa fixin’s. And of course, there were plenty of sweets, including carrot cake made by Matt, Sarah’s birthday cake, and some of my fresh strawberry sorbet. Everyone helped make it a super day, including Katie, Kerri, Paul, Autumn, Isabelle, Jasmine, Jack, Skye, and Connor.

No bread pudding? you ask. We made up for that missing element today.

The slightly stale hot dog bun was staring me in the face this morning, begging to be made into a delectable bread pudding. And so we did, adding some chopped Newman’s Own Organic apricots, and a spoonful or two of salted cashew chunks.

No exaggeration. This is one of the very best bread puddings I’ve ever made! (And no, I don’t say that all the time.) I know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow. If there’s any left.

HOT DOG BUN BREAD PUDDING WITH APRICOTS AND CASHEWS

1/2 of a day-old hot-dog bun, cubed
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots (such as Newman’s Own Organic)
1/8 cup chopped roasted and salted cashews
1 large egg
1/3 cup half & half or whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon-sugar

Scatter bread cubes in 1-1/2-pint (or up to 4-cup size) ceramic baking dish that has been buttered or sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with chopped apricots and cashews. In medium bowl, whisk together egg, milk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour over bread mixture in pan. Let stand about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, and bake about 45 minutes, or until top is browned and crispy and pudding is firm.
Serve warm or at room temp with whipped cream. Serves 2 to 4.
© 2008, Recipe by Portia Little.

Jalapeno cornbread pudding is zesty brunch dish

2008-05-08T15:18:00.001-04:00

Okay, we admit it. We have a sweet tooth. We can leave the main course to another cook, and just focus on dessert. We’re not too picky when it comes to dessert ingredients either. And while we jump at the first chance to add chocolate, other ingredients beckon – apples and cinnamon, fresh strawberries, cream cheese, pears, blueberries, brandy – well the possibilities are endless when it comes to great dessert ingredients.

But, oh no, I’ve done it again. Gotten sidetracked by the dessert tray.

Today’s post is about a hearty bread pudding. Honest. And to prove it, here’s a recipe for a wonderful bread pudding that’s made with cornbread and enhanced with the addition of sweet onions, jalapeno jack cheese, and also fresh or frozen corn. For those who like a little zip in their bread pudding, this dish should hit the spot.

JALAPENO CORNBREAD PUDDING

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1-1/4 cups fresh cut corn (or frozen, thawed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups half & half
6 cups crumbled cornbread
1-1/2 cups shredded jalapeno jack cheese, divided (1 cup, and 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)

Saute onion and corn in oil until onion is translucent. In large bowl, combine eggs, half & half, cornbread, 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into greased 8- or 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese and jalapeno pepper slices if using. Let stand about 20 minutes.
Set pan in larger pan filled halfway up with hot water; bake in preheated 325-degree oven 50-60 minutes or until pudding is firm and browned on top. Serves 6 to 8.

Praline brunch toast is Mom's Day treat

2008-05-07T11:35:00.003-04:00

So what is a “real” bread pudding and “not-quite” a bread pudding? I’d say if it walks like a duck…

Traditional bread puddings have been made with chunks of bread, eggs, a milk product, a sweetener or not, some flavoring, and whatever else suits your fancy – from the ever popular raisins and cinnamon, to more innovative choices such as plums, apricots, and any kind of chocolate your heart desires. Or for a savory bread pudding, some asparagus and Boursin.

And sometimes we don’t chop up the bread, but leave it in slices, such as in today’s recipe for Praline Brunch Toast that I found in the Junior League of Tampa cookbook, The Life of the Party. We’re thinking this would make a wonderful Mother’s Day dish, maybe even for ‘breakfast in bed.’ Just add a small vase of colorful flowers on the breakfast tray, some good coffee, and a few pieces of fresh fruit such as sliced oranges or strawberries for a lovely morning meal.

One of the nice things about this recipe is that you can assemble all the ingredients the night before (and hide them somewhere in the fridge if it’s going to be a surprise), then bake the dish in the morning. I actually make up the entire dish, including the brown sugar-pecan mixture with the bread slices on top, and refrigerate it overnight. Also, it makes a big panful, so there will be enough to go around for the rest of the family too.

Today we’re going to add a new category to the recipes list on the sidebar: “Almost a Bread Pudding,” for those dishes such as this one that contain most of the usual suspects, but with some variation on the bread pudding theme, such as sliced bread instead of cubed.

Here’s to a great Mom’s day celebration!

PRALINE BRUNCH TOAST
(from the Junior League of Tampa cookbook, The Life of the Party)

8 eggs
1-1/2 cups half & half
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 thick slices sourdough bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs and half & half in small bowl. Whisk in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and vanilla. Pour 1/2 of egg mixture into 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange bread slices in dish, trimming crusts to fit if necessary. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Chill, covered, for several hours or overnight.

Melt butter in another 9x13-inch baking dish. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar and syrup. Sprinkle pecans over bottom. Place egg-soaked bread slices carefully on top of pecans. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Bake in preheated 350-degree-F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bread is light brown and puffed.
To serve, invert toast onto plates and spoon pecans from bottom of dish over the toast. Serves 8.

Whole wheat bread pudding is studded with cherries

2008-05-05T20:58:00.001-04:00

My shelves are lined with cookbooks. And while many of them are just collector’s items, such as the early 20th-century books that belonged to my mom, there are many books that I turn to again and again to cook from. One of my recent acquisitions is the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book.

I’ve tried several recipes from this book, with great results – the Sour Cream Muffins (I added fresh blueberries), Simple Spelt Pancakes (a good, thick buckwheat-like pancake), the Cherry Chocolate Scones, and the Maple Granola, to name just a few.

The book also features some tempting bread pudding recipes, which I have tagged for my ever-growing to-try list, such as the Cherry-Almond Bread Pudding below. I have such confidence in the quality of the recipes in this book that I don’t think there’s a single thing that won’t come out really great. The book gives a few tips for making bread puddings with whole grain breads, some of which I list below.

(Suggestions from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook)
- Use a “slightly sweet, soft whole wheat bread, unless you plan to let the bread soak overnight before baking.”
- Increase the liquid-to-bread ratio when using whole grain breads, and give the bread a long period of time to absorb the custard.
- To speed up the process, “heat the liquid in the recipe, whisk it into the eggs, and pour the warm custard over the bread to soak while the oven preheats.”
- For a lower-fat bread pudding, use low-fat milk, but don’t heat it. Instead whisk it into the eggs, and let the bread soak up the liquid, at least an hour, or overnight.

CHERRY-ALMOND BREAD PUDDING
(from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking)
Yield: 16 servings

Pudding:
3 cups (12 ounces) frozen sour cherries or 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cups (9 ounces) cubed, fresh whole wheat bread
3 large eggs
2 cups (16 ounces) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (1-7/8 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup (3 ounces) sliced almonds

Pudding: Place cherries, sugar, and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. Stir to coat cherries. Add bread cubes. In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, extracts and salt. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes in bowl and stir to coat bread thoroughly. Let mixture sit for 30 minutes so bread can soak up egg mixture.
While bread is soaking, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and butter 9-inch pan.
Topping: Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and cook until sugar melts and mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in almonds; set aside.
Pour pudding mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle topping evenly over pudding. Return to oven and bake until pudding is puffed and set, and sides are pulling away from edges of pan, 25 to 30 minutes. A clean knife inserted in center will come out almost clean. Remove pudding from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with ice cream.

Cinco de Mayo Bread Pudding is festive

2008-05-05T10:24:00.002-04:00

It’s time for mariachis, margaritas, and more! Today here in the Ocean State, folks will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo by chomping down on some great Mexican food at restaurants such as The Original Cactus Grille in Providence.

And here at home, “south of the Providence border,” we’ll whip up a bread pudding that’s full of golden raisins, Mexican chocolate, and rum. The bread is drying in the kitchen as we speak. This pudding serves 20, so it’s party time!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE RUM-RAISIN BREAD PUDDING
(recipe from the California Raisin Marketing Board)

8 cups dry bread, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup good-quality bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped into chip-size pieces
1 cup California golden raisins, soaked in 1/4 cup dark rum
4 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9x1 1/2-inch glass or nonreactive baking pan. Spread bread cubes in pan; sprinkle chocolate pieces and raisins evenly on top and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together. Pour over the bread mixture. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
Place pan containing pudding inside larger pan filled with hot water to halfway up the sides of the pudding pan. Bake, uncovered, about 40 minutes at 350°F or until sharp knife inserted in center of pudding comes out clean.
To serve, cut into 20 squares. Serve warm.
Visit www.loveyourraisins.com/recipes/ for more Raisin Recipes.

Kentucky Derby bread pudding is the favorite

2008-05-03T16:58:00.004-04:00

“The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” occurs today as twenty horses leave the gates for the 134th Kentucky derby. And, while some fans of this Run for the Roses will be sipping mint juleps, in our house we’ll be chomping down on a rich bread pudding, laden with chocolate and chopped walnuts.

This pudding is a take-off on the traditonal Derby Pie, which is almost as famous in Kentucky as the Kentucky Derby itself. And while chopped walnuts and bourbon are featured in the standard versions, some also contain chocolate, which without a doubt we had to include.

Baked in a standard glass pie pan, this pudding puffed up nicely while baking, and the chocolate chips melted to a sensuous gooey texture. Now it’s out of the oven and the house smells like a chocolate factory. We plan to cut generous wedges of this luscious “pie” and serve topped with a rich vanilla ice cream.

This one’s for Kas Winters in Arizona, a fan of chocolate if there ever was one. She runs a delightful and informative website, www.winmarkcom.com, which is loaded with family ideas and projects as well as some great gifts – it’s a winner every day.

KENTUCKY DERBY BREAD PUDDING

3 to 4 slices bread, cubed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/4 cups chocolate chips (or more if you’d like)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup half & half or heavy cream
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon

Scatter bread cubes in 9- or 10-inch glass pie plate that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Toss bread cubes with melted butter. Sprinkle on chocolate chips and walnuts. In saucepan, heat milk/cream until just about scalding. In large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Slowly add hot liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly; mix in bourbon. Pour liquid over bread mixture.

Let stand about 15 minutes for bread to absorb liquid. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 45-60 minutes, or until pudding puffs up and browns on top. Serve warm or at room temp with a big glob of vanilla bean ice cream. Serves 8.

Warm brioche bread pudding is perfect weekend comfort food

2008-05-03T11:37:00.003-04:00

Spring is hesitating to join us this weekend. Cloudy and drizzly here on the Rhode Island shoreline, not a good beach day. But there are some compensations - we can put off weeding the garden and spreading the mulch that’s waiting outside on the driveway.

And, instead, we’ll create some comfort inside – a warm bread pudding made from a tender brioche, and filled with raisins and apples that have been soaked in a simple syrup enhanced with rum. I’ve discovered an excellent, too-good-to-be-true-but-it’s-for-real site for bread pudding recipes – it’s from the California Raisin board – http://www.calraisins.org/recipes/category.cfm?id=53 . I’m in bread pudding heaven just looking at their recipes, which include such goodies as applesauce bread pudding, California raisin bread pudding with caramel sauce and bananas foster, and a lemon raisin bread soufflé, to name just a few.

The California Raisin folks describe this brioche treat as a “light and saucy rum-flavored pudding,” and they suggest serving this pudding with a raspberry sauce. I don’t have the exact size pan they call for in the recipe, so will use perhaps an 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. So here we go off to the market to get some eggs, egg bread, and raspberries. Cloudy days aren’t so bad after all.

Warm Brioche Bread Pudding with California Raisins, Apples and a Berry Sauce

Rum Simple Syrup:
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

1 cup California raisins
1 cup apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Custard:
1 quart milk
1 cup sugar
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 loaf brioche or light egg bread (14 oz. to 1-1/2 lbs.), sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
Melted butter for brushing pan
1/4 cup pure crystal cane sugar, clear not colored

Berry Sauce:
1 pint raspberries
1/4 cup rum simple syrup

Sweetened whipped cream for garnish

Rum Simple Syrup: In small saucepan, bring rum, water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling 1 minute. Cool completely. Mix raisins and apple with 1/2 cup simple syrup. Set aside. Reserve 1/4 cup simple syrup for berry sauce.

Custard: Whisk all ingredients until mixture is fully combined.

To Assemble: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Brush 6x8x2-inch baking pan with melted butter. Line bottom of pan with one layer bread. Place 1/3 of raisins and apples on bread; pour 1/3 of custard over all. Repeat 2 more times and top with final layer of bread. There should be 4 layers of bread and 3 layers of raisin-apple and custard mixtures. Sprinkle top with crystal sugar.

Place baking pan inside a larger baking pan. Fill larger pan with hot water until it comes halfway up sides of smaller pan, or just until it seems like smaller pan is floating. Bring water to a boil on top of stove. Cover pudding with foil (if baking pan doesn’t have secure-fitted top) and place in oven; bake at 325 degrees F. about 40 minutes or until a shake of the pan produces a firm jiggle. Bake another 15 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown.

Berry Sauce: Meanwhile, puree raspberries and reserved syrup in food processor to a smooth, sauce consistency; refrigerate until ready to use.

To Serve: Cut pudding into 8 squares. Divide and ladle sauce onto each of 8 individual plates. Arrange a piece of pudding on top of sauce and top with whipped cream.
Serves 8.
Visit www.loveyourraisins.com/recipes/ for more raisin recipes.

No-Knead for this yeast bread

2008-05-01T12:14:00.002-04:00

Before the pudding, there is the bread.

And, while making yeast breads is one of my cooking passions, usually my home-baked ones don’t last long enough to be used for a bread pudding.

Recently I’ve been making an incredibly easy yeast bread right from scratch. Now, granted, usually you don’t use the words “easy” and “yeast bread” in the same sentence, but in this case it’s the real deal. The recipe, from the cookbook, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, produces a quick-stir dough that can sit in the fridge for up to two weeks. When you want to make a loaf, just scoop up a handful of dough, shape it, let it rest, and bake for about a half hour. The result is so good, you’ll want to make this one again and again. I usually put a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven when the bread is baking to ensure a hearty crust.

One thing that makes people nervous about making yeast breads is the temperature of the water – if the water isn’t just warm enough, the bread won’t come out. Pooey on that worry. I don’t use a thermometer to measure; just dip a finger in the water – just warm seems to do it. And it’s a good idea too, to warm up your cold mixing bowl before you add the water – to do this, just add some hot tap water to the bowl, then pour it out before adding the amount of water called for in the recipe.

A friend of mine, Jean Donnelly, subs wheat flour for some of the white in this bread, with great results. She substitutes two-thirds cup of whole wheat for two-thirds cup of unbleached flour. “Yummy with a crunchy, crackly crust,” she raves.

So I say, “Go for it!” If you’ve ever wanted to make yeast bread, this is a great way to start.

BREAD BOULE IN 5 MINUTES A DAY
(from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois)

3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)
1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
6-1/2 cups all-purpose white flour (no need to sift)
Cornmeal

In 5-quart bowl, combine yeast, water and salt. Add all flour, then use wooden spoon to mix until all ingredients are uniformly moist. It is not necessary to knead or continue mixing once ingredients are wet. This will produce a loose and very wet dough.
Cover with lid (not airtight), or plastic wrap with several holes poked into it. Allow mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, about 2 hours, but no more than 4 hours.
After rising, dough can be baked immediately, or tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 14 days. The dough will be easier to work with after at least 3 hours of refrigeration.
Remove desired amount of dough from batch and place on pizza peel (or other flat surface) that has been dusted with cornmeal. When dough has rested for 40 minutes, dust top liberally with flour, then use serrated knife to slash a cross or tic-tactoe pattern into top.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slide loaf onto baking stone or baking sheet. Quickly but carefully pour 1 cup hot water into broiler tray on bottom rack of oven, and close oven door. Bake about 30 minutes, or until crust is nicely browned and firm to touch. Allow bread to cool completely, preferable on wire cooking rack. Makes four 1-pound loaves.

Apricot bread pudding is no mystery

2008-04-29T20:39:00.005-04:00

Curling up with a good mystery novel is one of my favorite ways to relax. So when I find one that also includes some great recipes, and ta tum – one of those recipes is for bread pudding, well my day goes from good to better to best.

Recently I discovered Joanne Fluke’s culinary mystery series, starring the intrepid amateur sleuth and bakery owner, Hannah Swenson, who seems to trip over dead bodies almost as often as I find new bread puddings to try. And judging by the titles of some of Fluke’s books, the author must have a killer sweet tooth: Cherry Cheesecake Murder; Sugar Cookie Murder; and Fudge Cupcake Murder, to name a few in the series. You can find these and her other books at http://www.kensingtonbooks.com.

Today we adapted her recipe for Apricot Bread Pudding, which is featured in Fluke’s Strawberry Shortcake Murder. We cut it in half, which still made plenty for dessert tonight and also tomorrow’s breakfast. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of chopped dried apricots, an amount that I maintained in the halved version – no need to spare any of this wonderful fragrant fruit. Also, I didn’t remove the bread crusts because I like a BP with texture.

The result was custardy inside and the bread triangles crisped up nicely on top as it baked. Come to think of it, a slice of this BP would be nice right now with a hot cuppa tea on this cool-ish day in Rhode Island.

APRICOT BREAD PUDDING
(adapted from Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke)

8 slices white bread
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (you could use more)
3 large eggs, beaten with fork
2-1/4 cups milk (or light cream, or half & half)

Butter 2-quart casserole. Remove crusts from bread. (I left crusts on.) Cut each slice into 4 triangles. Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl, then put in bread triangles, tossing them lightly until coated with butter.
Arrange approximately one-third of triangles in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle on a third of the sugar and half the chopped apricots. Add layer of half of remaining bread triangles, sprinkle on half of remaining sugar, and add remaining apricots.

Cover with rest of bread. Add any remaining butter to top. Sprinkle with last of sugar. Whisk eggs and milk or cream together in butter bowl. Pour over bread mixture; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. with rack in center position. Bake pudding uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, until pudding is set and top is golden brown. Let cool and serve topped with heavy cream, sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
(The author suggests making this with any dried fruit, including currants, raisins, dates, pears, or prunes, although she said she didn’t try it with the latter.)

Mom liked her bread pudding best

2008-04-28T18:18:00.002-04:00

When you’ve got a good thing going, you don’t want to mess with it. Such as my mom’s bread pudding, for example, the one I grew up with, custardy in the middle and crusty on top. And full of those plump raisins that you’d bite into with each spoonful. It had a hint of cinnamon too, and sometimes she’d serve it with real whipped cream on top. Or with a lemon sauce made with fresh lemons, none of that stuff that comes in a piece of yellow plastic.

I wonder what she’d think of these “modern” bread puddings that you find in trendy restaurants – made with chocolate and nuts and ‘exotic’ fruits such as blueberries and pineapple. And topped with sauces made with bourbon or rum.

Granted, I’ve gravitated over to the ‘dark side,’ when making my own puddings, often adding whatever I can find on my shelf – such as granola, cranberries, caramel, bananas, chocolate syrup, coffee, and pumpkin. Because I create and bake so many different types of bread puddings, I often ask friends and neighbors to be taste testers. Many are traditionalists, like my neighbor, Eric, who fondly remembers his mom’s own bread pudding, and was a little skeptical of the one I brought over containing chocolate and cherries. My other neighbor, Gail, however, was delighted with my pumpkin rum raisin BP, which she rated an “Eleven.”

But it all began with mom. She taught me about bread pudding. Here’s her tried and true recipe. It’s very custardy, so if you’d like a denser bread pudding, just increase the bread to liquid ratio. Thanks, mom.

MOM’S HOMESTYLE BREAD PUDDING

2 to 3 slices day-old white bread, buttered and cubed
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
2 cups milk, scalded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine bread cubes and raisins in buttered 1-1/2-quart baking dish, or 8- or 9-inch square pan. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add hot milk slowly, stirring to mix well. Pour over bread mixture. Set baking dish in shallow pan of hot water. Bake about 60 minutes, or until pudding is firm and browned on top. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with whipped cream, warm chocolate sauce, or lemon sauce. Serves 6-8.