March 1st, 2012

I'm sipping on some sunshine....

Bread Pudding w/ Bourbon Sauce

Pictured is 1/3 batch soaking before cooking.

2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1(14-ounce) loaf challah bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10 cups) (see note)
9 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

(I choose to divide the recipe by 3 to make a smaller batch)

1. Adjust oven racks to middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine brown sugar and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in small bowl; set aside.

2. Spread bread cubes in single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, tossing occasionally, until just dry, about 15 minutes, switching trays from top to bottom racks halfway through. Cool bread cubes about 15 minutes; set aside 2 cups.

3. Whisk yolks, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in cream and milk until combined. Add remaining 8 cups cooled bread cubes and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and let stand, occasionally pressing bread cubes into custard, until cubes are thoroughly saturated, about 30 minutes.

4. Spread reserved bread cubes evenly over top of soaked bread mixture and gently press into custard. Using pastry brush, dab melted butter over top of unsoaked bread pieces. Sprinkle brown-sugar mixture evenly over top. Place bread pudding on rimmed baking sheet and bake on middle rack until custard has just set, and pressing center of pudding with finger reveals no runny liquid, 45 to 50 minutes. (Instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding should read 170 degrees.) Transfer to wire rack and cool until pudding is set and just warm, about 45 minutes. Serve.
While the Bread pudding is cooling begin your bourbon sauce.

Bourbon Sauce:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
7 tablespoons heaving whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon

In Sauce pan over medium heat whisk together the sugar and heavy cream and cook till this mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes.
Add the unsalted butter and continue cooking till the mixtures comes to a boil again. about 1 minute.
Turn heat off and add the bourbon and whisk together to combine well. Let the mixture sit till cooled but still warm.

Banana Cream Puffs

From the Food Pusher  http://food-pusher.blogspot.com

1 cup water, boiling
1 stick butter
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 eggs
1 pkg (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
2 largish bananas, cut into about 1/4 inch chunks
Powdered sugar for garnish

Directions
1. Bring water and butter to a boil. Add the flour all at once & stir vigorously until it forms a ball. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

2. When water-butter-flour mixture is cool, beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth each time. Scrape into a gallon-size plastic storage bag. Snip off about ½” of one corner to make a pastry bag.

3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Chill the bowl and whisk attachment of a standing mixer, or other mixing bowl and beaters.

4. Squeeze out blobs that are about 3 tablespoons worth of the paste onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. (More paste for larger puffs, less for smaller puffs) Blobs should be at least 2 inches apart.

5. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes—then turn oven down to 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until well-puffed and light brown.
Cream puff just out of oven

6. Move puffs to wire racks. Poke each one with a toothpick or a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Once cool, cut each puff horizontally in the middle and gently remove membrane-looking insides.

7. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together milk and pudding powder. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes or more.

8. Place banana chunks in a medium sized bowl and gently stir in about a cup and a half of the pudding.

9. Pour the heavy cream into the chilled mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until almost stiff peaks form. Then fold the remaining pudding into whipped cream. (Use 2/3 to all of the pudding, depending on how sweet you want your cream puffs to be.) Do not over-mix.

Puff interior before picking out insides

10. Spread a layer of banana/pudding into the bottom of a puff. Then with a spoon, scoop enough of the cream mixture into the bottom to just go over the top. Spoon some into the top to fill in. Return top to its puff.

11. Plate puffs and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes 12 large, 18 medium, or 24 small cream puffs.

No-Knead Pumpkin Rolls with Brown Sugar Glaze

Must make for Christmas Morning 2012, someone please remind me!
makes 16 to 18 rolls
From theKitchn
http://www.thekitchn.com/fall-recipe-noknead-pumpkin-ro-129477

For the dough:
1/4 cup water
1 scant tablespoon yeast (1 package)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups pecans - toasted, chopped, and divided in half (optional)

For the glaze:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
pinch salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it sit a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved.

Meanwhile, warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan on the stove top until the butter is melted. Combine this with the sugar in a large heat-proof mixing bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Let the milk mixture cool until it is just warm to the touch - NOT HOT. Then stir in the yeast and the pumpkin. Add the salt and five cups of the flour all at once, stirring until all the flour has been absorbed. Squish it between your hands if you're having trouble incorporating the last of the flour. The dough will be sticky, but should come together in a shaggy ball. If it's still more the consistency of cookie batter, work in an additional 1/2 cup of flour.

Cover the dough and let it rise for 1-3 hours. During this time, it should double in bulk. At this point, you can punch the dough down and refrigerate it overnight or continue shaping the rolls.

To shape the rolls (either immediately or with the refrigerated dough), sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and dump the dough on top. Pat it down into a rough rectangle and then use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a rectangular shape about a half an inch thick, longer than it is wide. If the dough gets sticky, sprinkle a little more flour on the dough's surface and on your hands.

Melt the butter in the microwave and stir in the brown sugar and the spices. Spread this over the rectangle of dough, leaving an inch of bare dough at the top. Sprinkle one cup of the toasted pecans over the dough, if using. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch it closed at the top.

Rub a tablespoon of soft butter into the bottom of two 9x13 baking dishes, two 9-inch cake pans, or a combination. Using a bench cutter or a sharp knife, cut the cylinder into individual rolls 1 - 1 1/2 inches thick. Place them into your baking dishes so they have a little wiggle room on all sides to rise. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise until they fill the pan and look puffy, 30 minutes for already-warm dough and 1 hour for dough that's been refrigerated.

About 20 minutes before baking, begin heating the oven to 375°. When the rolls are ready, bake them for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden and starting to look toasted around the edges. Rotate the pans halfway through cooking.

While they are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and butter. When the butter has melted, add the brown sugar and salt. Stir until the brown sugar has melted. Remove from heat and strain into a mixing bowl to remove any sugar clumps. Stir in the powdered sugar. This should form a thick but pourable glaze.

Let the baked rolls cool for about five minutes and then pour the glaze on top. Sprinkle the remaining cup of pecans over the top, if more nuttiness is desired. Eat them immediately. Leftovers will keep for several days and are best reheated for a minute in the microwave.