Bread prices, just like most food prices, keep rising.
Loaves of plain, basic white and whole wheat bread at our local grocery store went up ten cents a loaf last week.
Sometimes there are deals: if you buy more than one loaf the price per loaf is reduced.
Wrapped in plastic, a loaf of bread can be stored in the freezer.
If there’s room.
If the freezer is full the second loaf could go stale and dry.
At these prices no one wants to toss any food out.
No problem. The second loaf can be used to make a dessert.
Bread Puddings are easy to make and are cozy warm endings to winter meals.
And there are so many variations!
You’re sure to find one that will use what you have on hand.
Custard Bread Pudding, with and without Vanilla Sauce, are cooked in a water bath.
It’s worth going the extra mile and using the second pan.
The water bath insulates the custard bread pudding from the direct heat of the oven and prevents curdling of the custard.
Ma made use of every loaf of bread that came into our home.
Especially when Pop was out of work.
To take a look at her favourite recipes, ‘Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz’ and ‘Anna Sultana's Pudina tal-Hobz #2’, just paste ‘pudina’ in the search space and click.
Ma’s bread puddings had a lot of heft to them.
Well, I guess you can say that about many Maltese, too.
Hints:
Be sure to use a baking dish that’s deep and large enough for the recipe you’ve chosen.
If your bread is too stale to cut easily, wrap it in a damp kitchen towel, set it on a pan and heat it in a 350º F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
About Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce…
Instead of the nutmeg you can use cinnamon.
For a lighter dessert replace the heavy cream with half and half or milk, either whole or 2%.
You can substitute finely chopped green apples and/or cranberries for the raisins.
Leftover hamburger or hotdog buns or rolls can be used instead of French bread.
This recipe makes a sweet dessert. You can reduce the amount of sugar.
About the Easy Vanilla Sauce Recipe…
Instead of the milk and half and half you can use 1 cup heavy cream or just milk, even skim milk or non-dairy milk.
Don’t rush adding the warm milk to the yolks. If you add it too quickly the yolks will cook and the sauce will curdle.
You can add some dark rum at the end to cut some of the sweetness.
You can also add ground cinnamon or cloves, if you want.
To reheat, place the vanilla sauce in a small pot, warm over very low heat, and stir constantly while heating.
Easy Vanilla Sauce is also known as Creme Anglaise and can be used to top fresh fruit, or paired with any baked dessert.
You can also make a gingerbread trifle: gingerbread, Creme Anglaise, raspberries, dusted with confectioners’ sugar and topped with raspberries.
About Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce…
The outer crust is crispy while the custard-like interior is soft. Make sure your stale French bread is dry. If it isn't dry you can lightly toast the bread cubes in the oven or leave it out on the counter, unwrapped, for a day or two.
About Custard Bread Pudding…
This recipe has more custard than bread.
Bread Pudding with Thick Sauce
Grease well a 9x13 pan or a deep 2-quart baking dish
Cube 8 slices white bread
Place in a large bowl and add
1/2 Cup raisins, any kind
Combine in medium saucepan
2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup butter
Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted, 4 to 7 minutes.
Pour milk mixture over bread, and let stand 10 minutes.
Heat oven to 325º F
Add to bread / milk mixture
1/2 Cup sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until centre is set.
Place in 1-quart saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 Cup heavy cream
Cook over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla
To serve, spoon warm pudding into dessert dishes and serve with sauce.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Lightly grease a deep 2-quart baking dish.
Preheat oven to 375° F
Cube enough to make 4 Cups
French bread
Place cubes on pan. Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375° F
Place in large bowl
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1⁄2 Cups sugar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
Blend well to combine thoroughly.
Stir in
1⁄4 Cup butter, melted
2 3⁄4 Cups heavy cream
Gently stir in
the cubed French bread
3⁄4 Cup raisins
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 20 to 25 minutes.
Let pudding stand 10 minutes before serving with sauce.
While the pudding is baking prepare the Vanilla Sauce
Place in in a heavy saucepan
1⁄2 Cup sugar
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1⁄4 Cups heavy cream
Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened.
Remove saucepan from heat and stir in
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Easy Vanilla Sauce Recipe
Place in a small, heavy saucepan
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup half and half
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat.
Place in a medium bowl
4 large egg yolks
3 Tablespoons sugar
Whisk together.
While whisking constantly, slowly add 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks.
Gradually pour the mixture into the saucepan and, whisking constantly, heat the sauce over medium low heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and let sauce cool.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve if desired.
Serve warm or chill in the refrigerator.
Walnut Bread Pudding
Grease well a 9x13 pan or a deep 2-quart baking dish
Preheat oven to 350° F
Cube 10 slices raisin bread, or other dried-fruit bread
Spread bread cubes on baking sheet.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool.
Place in a large bowl
2 1/4 Cups milk
3 large eggs
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together.
Add
the toasted bread cubes
6 Tablespoons walnuts, coarsely chopped
Stir to coat bread cubes.
Let stand 15 minutes, stirring half-way, until bread is completely soaked.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Pour bread mixture into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes, until golden and egg mixture is set.
To serve: drizzle prepared caramel sauce over warm pudding (optional)
Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Butter well a 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole
Cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound loaf of day old French bread
Set aside.
Place in a large bowl
3 Cups whole milk
1 Cup heavy cream
1 1/4 Cup half and half
7 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 Cup sugar
zest of half an orange (optional)
Using a whisk, mix well until the eggs are fully blended, 6 to 7 minutes.
Pour this mixture into the prepared casserole.
Add in the bread cubes and gently toss until all the bread is coated.
Don’t stir more than 10 minutes. You don’t want the cubes to break apart into pieces.
Cover the casserole tightly with foil and place in the refrigerator.
Leave overnight, or at least 2 hours, until all the custard mixture has been soaked up.
Preheat your oven to 350º F
Set the covered casserole in a large pan that will comfortably hold it.
Do not fill casserole more than 3/4 full.
Fill the large pan with boiling water to the half-way point.
Place the casserole in the large pan in the oven.
Bake for 90 minutes, uncover the casserole and bake until the crust becomes browned and crispy.
Remove from oven.
Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes before slicing it.
Top with berries, powdered sugar, or caramel sauce.
Custard Bread Pudding
Place in a blender
1 quart half-and-half
4 large eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Blend until smooth.
Butter well a 2 to 2 1/2 quart casserole
Cube 4 slices white bread
Place bread cubes in prepared casserole.
Sprinkle over bread cubes
1/4 Cup raisins, more or less
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
Preheat oven to 300º F
Set the casserole in a large pan that will comfortably hold it.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes.
Do not fill casserole more than 3/4 full.
Fill the large pan with boiling water to the half-way point.
Place the casserole in the large pan in the oven.
Bake 1 1/2 hours, until set.
Serve warm or cold.
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