Pineapple bread pudding is tropical delight in January

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)

Big Island bread pudding is Hawaii Cook-Off winner

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!!

Ambrosia bread pudding is blast from the past

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

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.

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

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

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.

Pineapple bread pudding is tropical weather reminder

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.

Pineapple Upside-Down Bread Pudding is a slice saver

There was only one left.
After arranging the nine pineapple slices in the baking pan for the upside down cake, I found one lonely slice left in the bottom of the can.

Choices here:
Eat it.
Save it for later.
Toss it.

None of the above. The one and only possibility was to add it to some stale bread and make a festive bread pudding. Fragrant and fruity and looking pretty as a new spring flower.

Rather than cut up the pineapple, we decided to place it on the butterscotch topping that we’d spooned onto the bottom of a small ceramic baking dish. Added a red cherry to the center, and we were off and creating.

We added some pineapple juice for an aromatic touch. Next time we might put in pineapple vodka (from the stash we made up several months ago) or some pineapple rum.

Note: the liquid to bread ratio in this BP was kind of high, producing a final result of a nice, custardy texture. For a thicker version, you could just up the bread ante.

This pineapple bread pudding was even better the next day with our breakfast coffee. Okay, so this BP in the morning thing is becoming a delicious habit.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN BREAD PUDDING

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon (heaping) butterscotch flavored topping
1 canned pineapple slice
1 maraschino cherry
2 cups challah, or other egg bread, cubes
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2/3 cup half & half or cream
3 tablespoons pineapple juice (drained from the can)

Spray bottom and sides of 2-1/2-cup baking dish. Drizzle pan bottom with butterscotch topping. Drain pineapple well between paper towels. Place over topping in center of pan, then add cherry to center of slice. Top with bread cubes. In bowl, whisk eggs together with sugar. Stir in melted butter, cream, and pineapple juice. Pour liquid over bread. Let stand about 20 minutes. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven 45-50 minutes or until set. Cool slightly, then invert onto plate. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
(Note: Use a higher ratio of bread for a more dense bread pudding.)
© 2008, Recipe by Portia Little.