G-chat Avoid-the-Super-Bowl Bread Pudding

It's teevoz, back again! 

Last night was the Super Bowl. Yawn. Daughter MVL and I had been talking about making bread pudding some time and last night seemed like the right night to do it while we waited for Downton Abbey. So I emailed her a basic recipe and we tweaked it via gchat as we were parallel-preparing this easy and tasty antidote to the endless winter in our kitchens.

It is light and fluffy and seriously delicious - and it makes the house smell divine as it bakes. The quantities are approximate, and you can vary the fresh fruits, breads, spices, dried fruits, substitute maple syrup for the sugar, etc - whatever you have in the house - experiment!  Just make sure there's enough liquid to thoroughly soak the bread. You could make a savory version too - I'd keep the apples and add onions, mushrooms, celery - baked stuffing without the turkey. 

Here is mine this morning - deflated a bit, and not as shiny, but trust me, this is delicious.

Challah Banana Apple Raisin Bread Pudding 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack at the middle level. Generously grease a 2 quart baking dish with softened butter, all sides, and set aside. 

In a big bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, some cinnamon, 1/2 cup sugar - I used light brown granulated because that's what I had. 

Whisk in 2-1/2 cups milk - preferably whole milk or a combination of half-and-half or cream and 1 or 2% milk - and a container of yogurt. The yogurt is not in the original recipe but I had accidentally opened a vanilla yogurt, so threw it in - would work with any flavor and adds to the creaminess. 

Add 3 ripe bananas, sliced, and 1/2 cup raisins, and 1 or 2 large cut-up apples into the egg mixture. 

Cut up a loaf of challah and/or other slightly old bread (about 16 oz) into roughly 1-1/2 inch pieces. (I had only four whole wheat challah rolls so also used half a loaf of 10 grain bread. - the challah gives the crust a nice shine, but the combo was fine. Add more bread if there's too much liquid, or another egg if not enough.)

Fold the bread into the wet ingredients and stir gently but thoroughly. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the egg mixture. Stir occasionally to assure that the liquid is getting to all of the bread. 

Pile the mixture into the greased pan, and don't worry if it mounds up - when it bakes it will puff up at least an inch above the pan sides but it comes together and won't spill over, at least ours didn't. You could put the pan on a cookie sheet to be sure there's no mess. 

Generously dot the top with butter, cinnamon, and a tablespoon of sugar. 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees in middle of oven until cake tester or knife comes out clean - at least 60 minutes, maybe 75. 

Cool a bit and enjoy it warm - with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of heavy cream, or just as it is to really get the flavors. Can briefly warm up in the microwave if there are any leftovers - or cold right out of the pan is great too. 

Even for breakfast.

Mom's Delectable Pumpkin Pie

Hello everyone - I'm Tina Vozick, aka teevoz - Paul and I have been together since 1968, married since 1976. (I was, of course, a child bride.) Our two kids, now grown, will attest that he knows a lot about food, but other than toast, a boiled egg, and chicken nuggets, he's really not the one you want to cook for the family. So I'll be chiming in from time to time here with some recipes and other thoughts about food, broadly interpreted.

I'll start with a great recipe. We have some lactose-intolerant family members, so a few Thanksgivings ago I was looking for a non-dairy recipe for pumpkin pie, and found this gem - now it's my recommendation for anyone who wants a smooth and creamy treat, easy to make, whether or not you can eat dairy products. I think it's even better than traditional pumpkin pie recipes.


MOM’S DELECTABLE PUMPKIN PIE

3/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
or you can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the ginger, nutmeg & cloves
1 tablespoon of maple syrup or 1/4 tsp maple extract (optional)
1 15 oz. can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just plain old pumpkin)
1-1/4 cups soy milk (10 oz.) - plain or vanilla is even better
2 large eggs

I use a store-bought 10” graham cracker crust, the one that says “2 extra slices” – if you use a 9” graham cracker crust you’ll have a little filling left over that you can do in individual small graham cracker crusts. Or you can make a crumb crust yourself - or if you're really adventurous, a pastry crust. I'm not that adventurous, and the graham cracker crust is delicious.

1. In a large bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add pumpkin, soy milk, maple syrup and eggs; whisk until well blended - by hand or electric beater. Pour mixture into crust in pan.

2. Set pie on bottom rack of a pre-heated 425° regular (not microwave!) oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°; continue baking until center of pie is just set, about 40 minutes longer. The center should be set, but still jiggle when you give it a shake. To keep the pie from overcooking or the crust burning, turn off the oven, open it, but leave the pie inside to cool: it will continue to cook. After about 20 minutes, take it out of the oven to finish cooling.

3. Set pie on a rack until cool, at least 2 hours. After serving, chill the rest of the pie, airtight, if there's any left. I never have this problem. You could serve it with a dollop of whipped cream on top if you need the dairy fix.


Don't worry if the top of the pie cracks - it always does. But if you're the type of neatnik who wants an uncracked top, try this tip - my daughter said she read that if you put a pan of hot water at the bottom of the oven on a rack below your pie, the steam allows the pie to stay moist while it still cooks and will prevent the cracking. I must say, I'm both skeptical and unsure of why anyone cares if the pie cracks, but give it a whirl and let me know if it works!

I should also mention that you don't have to slavishly follow the quantities - especially the spices and the amount of sugar - you can adjust it to your taste. This is a pretty forgiving recipe, my favorite kind.

I know, it's not Thanksgiving. But trust me, you'll love this pie any time of year, and it is fast and easy to boot.

Bon appetit... and let me know here how it comes out!