Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Bread pudding is morning glory muffin wannabe


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)

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