Brioche bread puddings are rich with berries of summer

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.

Summer bread pudding is berry fine

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

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

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

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)