Comfort food is something we'll always find on the menu, we'll always make at home and we'll always crave. Why? Because it's so darn comforting. We are all conscious of eating healthy and watching our weight, but we have so many reasons to gravitate toward comfort foods. Any problem, large or small, and many of us turn to food. Last week we were out for dinner with our friends Jeff and Cookie. After eating a pretty healthy meal (we're all watching our weight) I couldn't resist ordering bread pudding for dessert. No one wanted the bread pudding until it showed up with three extra spoons, warm and inviting, covered with creme Anglaise. It was gone in a flash, and was it fantastic. We were at La Costa Grill, and I highly recommend their black and white bread pudding. Following is a recipe that I hope you will enjoy.
Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise
16 slices (about 1 loaf)egg bread or challah
1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1T. grated orange rind
6 eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim off bread crusts, cut bread in cubes, and arrange half of bread cubes in lightly greased 12-inch oval baking dish. Scatter 2/3 each of the cranberries and orange rind over top. Cover mixture with remaining bread cubes, then top with remaining cranberries and orange rind. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, all but 1 T. of the sugar and the vanilla. pour over bread mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes. Using baster, drizzle liquid over bread mixture several times. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until puffed and golden and until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Orange Creme Anglaise
1 c. whipping cream
1 strip orange rind
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur or frozen orange juice concentrate
In a small saucepan, heat cream with orange rind over medium heat just until steaming. Remove from heat, discard orange rind. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale, slowly whisk in cream. Return to saucepan, cook, stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain into pitcher, stir in liqueur. Serve warm over bread pudding.
This is so good, and you can make it with lots of variations, for example replace cranberries with chocolate chips, and use a chocolate liqueur in the creme anglaise. Use your imagination. Whatever you do, it's going to be great.
Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise
16 slices (about 1 loaf)egg bread or challah
1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1T. grated orange rind
6 eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim off bread crusts, cut bread in cubes, and arrange half of bread cubes in lightly greased 12-inch oval baking dish. Scatter 2/3 each of the cranberries and orange rind over top. Cover mixture with remaining bread cubes, then top with remaining cranberries and orange rind. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, all but 1 T. of the sugar and the vanilla. pour over bread mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes. Using baster, drizzle liquid over bread mixture several times. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until puffed and golden and until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Orange Creme Anglaise
1 c. whipping cream
1 strip orange rind
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur or frozen orange juice concentrate
In a small saucepan, heat cream with orange rind over medium heat just until steaming. Remove from heat, discard orange rind. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale, slowly whisk in cream. Return to saucepan, cook, stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain into pitcher, stir in liqueur. Serve warm over bread pudding.
This is so good, and you can make it with lots of variations, for example replace cranberries with chocolate chips, and use a chocolate liqueur in the creme anglaise. Use your imagination. Whatever you do, it's going to be great.
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