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Sabroso - Winter2008
JUST DESSERTS
By Jane Steele
Photography by Marty Snortum Studio
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For me, there are few less-pleasurable tasks than baking and even the simplest cake is a challenge. My chocolate chip cookies might taste good, but they are as flat as pancakes and seem to go stale in seconds. Even my kids aren’t that thrilled with them. But there is something about bread pudding that seems easy to me. The measurements need to be correct, but if you feel like adding more nuts, fruit or cream, the recipe isn’t ruined. There always seems to be spare bread on hand and it’s a great way to use that 18 pack of eggs that takes up all the room in your fridge. Both of these recipes are tried and true. If you want more pudding, add one more egg and a little more cream. Experiment, invent, but best of all, know that no matter what you change, it’s still going to taste good.
Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding
Serves 6 to 8
• 8 large croissants
• 1⁄2 stick butter at room temperature, plus
• 1 tbsp more
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch salt
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 11⁄2 cups dried cranberries
• 1⁄2 to 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1. Heat cream and half-and-half in heavy saucepan. Just as it comes to a simmer, remove from heat. Whisk eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla together. Pour hot cream into eggs, whisking constantly, in a very slow stream. Be careful not to add too much cream at once or the eggs will curdle. Once half the cream has been added, the eggs are tempered and the rest of the cream can be poured in.
2. Add zest to cream and stir well. Tear croissants into small-ish pieces and place in large bowl. Pour cream over bread and add cranberries. Toss well until all bread is covered and let sit 10 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a small to medium soufflé dish. Pour nuts into pudding and stir. Pour pudding into soufflé dish and place in oven with the rack in the middle. Bake until just set (it will pouf like a soufflé does, but you still want it jiggly) about 25 to 35 minutes. Remove and serve. |
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