Pear Red Currant Bread Pudding

I rarely follow bread pudding recipes to the letter- I often substitute the suggested bread or fruit and I have no problem trading granulated sugar for brown sugar or cream for milk.

If you like a deeper bread pudding, you can use a deeper pan. No one is going to punish you if you throw in a handful or raisins, a pinch of nutmeg, or a touch of marmalade. If your pudding comes out too dry, you can drown it in caramel sauce or ice cream.

To choose the recipe that best suits your taste, consider these questions:

What is the ratio of bread to custard?

Does it use a water bath?

Is it covered during baking?

Is the whole custard made ahead of time, or are the milk and eggs added seperately?

From experience, I know I like a substantial bread pudding (12-16 ounces of bread) that's very custardy. I find recipes cooked in a water bath are less likely to curdle. I like the top rather crispy too, which means the pudding needs some time uncovered in the oven.

I loved this Dorie Greenspan recipe. The original uses caramelized apples and apple butter instead of fruit and jam, but I didn't feel like adding an extra cooking step. I used challah from Trader Joe's, huge pears from Harry and David. (which held their shape remarkably well,) and red currant preserves. Next time, i'd use a seedless preserves with bigger chunks of fruit. I dusted the pan with light brown sugar.

It looked really beautiful. I rather wish i'd made it for the neighborhood Christmas Eve party tonight.

Jam and Fruit Bread Pudding
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours

3 medium pears, peeled, cored and largely diced (or other soft fruit.)
about 1 cup quality fruit preserves

12 ounces egg bread, such as challah or brioche, or good quality white bread, preferably stale, sliced 1/2 inch thick.

3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. Dust the inside with sugar and tap out the excess. Line a larger roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels.

If your bread is not stale, spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone and bake at 350 degrees to "stale" it for 10 minutes.

Spread one side of each slice of bread with jam, then cut each slice on the diagonal to get 4 triangles. Cover the bottom of the baking pan with half of the bread, arranging the triangles, jam side up, so that they overlap slightly. Don't worry about spaces between the slices. Spoon over the pears and finish "the sandwich" with the rest of the bread (jam side down.)

Bring the milk and cream just to a boil, then take it off the heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Still whisking, slowly drizzle in about one quarter of the hot milk mixture- this will temper or warm the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining milk. Add the vanilla and whisk to blend. Rap the bowl against the counter to pop any bubbles that might have formed, then spoon off any foam that has risen to the top. Pour the custard over the bread and press the bread gently with the back of a spoon to help it absorb the liquid. Leave the pan on the counter, giving the bread the back of the spoon treatment every now and then, for about 30 minutes.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Put the baking pan in the roasting pan, slide the setup into the oven and very carefully pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding pan. Bake the pudding for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Bread pudding is best served the day it is made, but this pudding is still delicious served at room temperature the following day.

Chocolate Cherry Babka

Have confidence in your baking this holiday season.

I wanted to make a yeasted pastry and this combination of brioche dough, chocolate, and cherries sounded perfect.

I didn't really know what I was doing. At first, the dough seemed too stiff. Adding more water made it unbelievably sticky, so I added extra flour. After a night in the fridge, the dough was hard, ugly, and more like thick batter.

It rolled out very easily, but it stuck to the counter. Using a dough scraper I managed to roll it up and cut it, but the slices were loose and spilling filling everywhere. I tossed them into the pan and let them rise in a slightly warm, turned off oven. I realized i'd forgotten the cocoa powder.

Despite my errors and questions of judgement, the bread turned out fantastically. I let my brother sample a warm, freshly baked piece and he said, "Lisa, you shouldn't be allowed to cook this well."

This babka is best eaten shortly after it's baked. It'd be good to serve for a holiday breakfast, brunch, or occasion when you have lots of guests.

You can reheat the whole loaf or thick, individual slices in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. I placed slices on a baking sheet, covered them with foil, and flipped them once. They came out lightly toasted and moist with hot melted chocolate (and 100% better than they were while cold.)

Chocolate Cranberry Babka
adapted from Alice Medrich's A Year in Chocolate

Dough:
3 cups bread flour
20 tbsp (2.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 envelope (1 scant tbsp) active dry yeast
1 tsp + 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
5 eggs, cold
1 1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup dried cranberries or cherries

8-10 cup tube pan, greased

To make the babka, spread the flour in a wide baking pan. Freeze at least 30 minutes, or until needed.

Using the paddle attachment of a heavy-duty mixer, beat the cold butter only until creamy, smooth, and free of lumps when pinched between your fingers. Scrape the butter into a mound on wax paper and refrigerate. Proceed with the recipe right away; a long delay will harden the butter.

Dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar in the warm water. Pour the dissolved yeast in the mixer bowl. Attach the dough hook. Add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, salt, and the flour, and mix until blended. Knead the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes. After the kneading period the dough will be very soft, sticky, and elastic. It will all be wrapped around the dough hook. Add the cold creamed butter in several pieces, pushing it into the dough, and beat with the hook until thoroughly incorporated. Stop several times to scrape the dough from the bowl and hook. Scrape the dough into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Mix the filling ingredients and cover.

Up to 24 hours later, scrape the cold dough out onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 18x12.5 inches. Scatter the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 inch margin on one long edge. Moisten the margin with water. Beginning at the long edge opposite the margin, roll the dough up like a jelly roll. Press firmly to seal the roll. With the seam facing down, cut 18 slices, each about 1 inch thick. Toss the slices gently into the pan, without particularly arranging them. If you lay them flat in the pan, they will not stick together properly. Adjust the slices to reach the same level in the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until the top is deeply browned and the bottom of the pan sounds hollow when tapped or until an instant read thermometer registers 200 degrees when inserted in the center of the bread, 50-60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack.

In Los Angeles for the Holidays.

I'm in Los Angeles until January 5th.
I made a little google map of places i'd like to try if there's time and I feel like driving.


View Larger Map

My initial motivation to try new places is wearing off quickly. The holidays are just too busy and nuts. Maybe i'd feel differently if every restaurant didn't require 45 minutes to an hour of driving each way.

I did have a fantastic lunch at Joe's on Abbot Kinney. I ate a really fantastic pineapple dessert: a sort of baked sabayon with pineapple on a crispy bottom crust with caramel sauce and spiced ice cream...

I'm enjoying a few new food products- particularly green tea yogurt from Trader Joe's and Danesi's Dancioc, a cocoa mix with some cornstarch that makes a thick hot chocolate that's not overly sweet. If you add enough powder, you'll end up with pudding. Mmmm.

I'm not sure how much baking i'll be doing. We'll see. I have an Alice Medrich babka recipe bookmarked.

Dorie Greenspan's Blondies

These are blondies from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours. Of all the baked goods I made last week, these were probably my least favorite. They were, however, the most popular and raved about dessert at the graduation party.

The problem was butterscotch chips. I forgot that I hate them; I think they taste artificial and overly sweet. They are even more painfully orange than I remember.

The only recipe i've ever liked with butterscotch chips is Sara Foster's Pumpkin Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, where the butterscotch chips are food-processed with the flour.

If you like butterscotch chips, you'll love these blondies. They're very flavorful and packed with chocolate, coconut, and walnuts. In a way they reminded me of seven layer bars.

It's important to let these blondies cool completely. Every time I make blondies, I cut into them too early and end up thinking they're underbaked and mushy. Once they cool, they firm up more and stay pleasantly chewy.

I'm not posting the recipe; I'm back in LA and don't have a copy of the cookbook. Anyway, I much prefer Alice Medrich's blondie recipe.

Cornmeal Currant Biscotti

I don't make biscotti much. Mediterra makes fabulous hazelnut and chocolate biscotti that are more like sables/butter cookies than traditional biscotti. I need to try a few more recipes before I know how to get the texture i'm looking for. This Alice Medrich recipe was pretty simple. I'm not sure i'd use currants next time; I think a slightly sweeter fruit would have been better with the cornmeal.

The graduation party went well last night. All of the baked goods were devoured, excepting one poundcake which i'm taking home for my parents. I have plenty of photos to share later: more gingersnaps, blondies, glazed lemon cake, and more!

Cornmeal and Fruit Biscotti
adapted from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 cup raisins or dried cherries, cranberries, or blueberries, or chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 350. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest, and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture, stirring until all of the ingredients are moistened. Add the raisins, mixing with your hands if necessary. Shape the dough into a 12x2 inch log and place it on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned and cracked on top. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Transfer the loaf carefully to a cutting board. Using a long serrated knife, cut the loaf on the diagonal into slices about 3/8 inch wide. Lay the slices, cut side down, on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are barely beginning to brown at the edges. Set the pan on a rack. Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be stored, airtight, for at least 2 weeks.

Rum Drenched Vanilla Cakes

In addition to the three kinds of cookies I made last night, I made two kinds of cake. This is another great recipe from Baking from my Home to Yours. It yields elegant cakes that are pretty difficult to mess up.

None of the recipes I made in the past two days require you to cream butter and sugar. I find the omission of this step makes baking seem much less intense.

Rum-Drenched Vanilla Cakes
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my Home to Yours

For the cakes:
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 1/3 cups sugar
2 plump, moist vanilla beans, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, (OR 1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract)
6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tbsp dark rum
1 stick + 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark rum

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 8.5x4.5x2.5 inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pans on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Put the sugar and the pulp from the vanilla beans, if using them, in a large bowl and, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of vanilla. (If you are using extract, add it later, after you've added the eggs.) Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the extract, if you're using it, then whisk in the cream, followed by the rum. Continuing with the whisk or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. (As soon as the cakes go into the oven, make the syrup.) After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color. If they are browning too much, cover them lightly with foil tents.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool.

When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding them and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and, using a thin skewer, cake tester, or thin-bladed knife, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cake all over with the syrup, working slowly so the cakes sop it up. Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.

Rocky Road Bars.

I thought I wasn't going to bake today, but I got bored and made three kinds of cookies.

These were probably my favorite of the three. I love the buttery, toasted graham cracker crust and the overall flavor/texture. Best of all, these bars are very easy to make. They might not be extremely sophisticated, but they're simple, satisfying, and different from standard bar fare.

I ran out of daylight, so i'll post the other cookies tomorrow.

Rocky Road Bars
adapted from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (from 11 double graham crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups miniature or quartered regular marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
8 inch square baking pan, lined with foil

Preheat the oven to 350. Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

Using a fork, mix the butter with the graham cracker cumbs and sugar until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened. Turn the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly, pressing very firmly all over the bottom to form a crust. Scatter the nut pieces evenly over the crust.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and scatter marshmallows and chocolate chips evenly over the walnuts. Return the pan to the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the marshmallows are soft, barely golden, and merged with one another. Set on a rack to cool completely. Run a knife along the unlined sides of the pan. Lift the ends of the foil liner and transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut into bars. May be stored, airtight, for 4-5 days.

Cardamom Crumb Cake

Last year, my roommate made coffee cakes for her lab partners almost every day for two weeks. They seem to be a well-loved baked good; Starbucks always has several varieties that are mentioned in casual conversation more often than i'd like to hear. My mom says there was a decade not too long ago when every woman would know how to make a coffee cake- a staple of hospitality skills.

I'm not sure why I don't make them more often, considering that i'll eat almost anything with streusel on top. This Dorie Greenspan recipe was particularly good. It's a nice change from your standard, buttery, fruit-filled coffee cake and it's very easy to make. The combination of cardamom, orange zest, coffee, and walnuts is heavenly. I love cardamom almost as much as I love streusel.

It was difficult to get a good photo, but i'm relatively happy with the result. This winter weather really kills good natural lighting.

(The Swedish Table by Helene Henderson also has some great recipes for cardamom lovers.)

Cardamom Crumb Cake
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my Home to Yours

For the crumbs:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp instant espresso powder
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup strong coffee, cooled
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

To make the crumbs, put all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl and toss them together with a spatula just to blend. Add the butter and, using your fingers or the spatula, mix everything together until you have crumbs of different sizes. It's nice to have a few big pieces, so don't overdo it. Set the crumbs aside. They can be made up to 3 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and espresso powder in a large bowl. Turn the dry ingredients out onto a sheet of wax paper and put the sugar and zest in the bowl. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong., then return the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk to blend.

Put the remaining ingredients in another bowl and whisk them to blend. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir, don't beat, to mix. Stir only until you've got an evenly moistened batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and top with a thick, even layer of the crumbs. Pat the crumbs ever so gently into the batter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake has risen (it will crown,) the crumbs are golden and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a rack to cool in the pan before serving warm or at room temperature.

Banana Cake with Espresso Caramel Frosting

This is what the cake from the failure post was supposed to look like.

This cake is from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book. I don't actually own a copy, so I cannot post the recipe right now. That said, it's one of the more interesting layer cakes i've made and I highly recommend it.

I'm not sure how much i'll be baking this week, as I leave for California a week from today. If you would like to see me bake something in particular, leave a comment. If you have hungry coworkers/classmates in the Pittsburgh area, i'd love an occasion to bake for. No promises though. Also:

I am going to Philadelphia in January and would love suggestions for bakeries/eateries to visit.

I'm looking for advice on finding food donations for a church event.

I need suggestions for a good, non-genoise chocolate cake recipe for a wedding cake. All the recipes I have are too moist and won't provide enough structural support.

That is all.

Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

This is the gingerbread i've been waiting for. The fresh ginger adds great flavor and heat, and the chunks of chopped chocolate melt in your mouth. I love the subtle blend of spices and the smooth consistency of the frosting.

Do sift the confectioners' sugar, or your icing will be rather lumpy.

I didn't mind that the edges were slightly over-baked. I trimmed them off and ate them immediately. This gingerbread is a keeper. I almost don't want to take it to the holiday party I made it for...

Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread
adapted from Baking from my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the cake:
2 tbsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 stick + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, 2 oz melted and cooled, 4 oz finely chopped
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp finely chopped stem ginger in syrup (optional)

For the icing:
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp strong coffee
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp confectioners sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9in square baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.

Put the fresh ginger and sugar in a small bowl, stir and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and spices together.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled at this stage. Pour in the molasses and beat until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the melted chocolate, along with the sugared ginger. Still on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in two (begin and end with dry ingredients,) mixing the batter only as much as needed to blend the ingredients. Fold in the chopped chocolate and the ginger in syrup (if using.) Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Don't be concerned if the cake has domed and cracked- it will settle down as it cools. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes, then unmold the cake. Turn right side up to cool to room temperature before icing the cake. The edges might be quite brown, but don't fret- you can trim them after you ice the cake.

To make the icing: Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, put the chocolate and coffee in the bowl, and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl and, using a small whisk, stir in the butter 1 tbsp at a time. Sift the confectioners sugar over the chocolate and stir in. Transfer the bowl to a counter and let the icing sit for about 10 minutes.

Put the gingerbread, still on the rack, on a pice of wax paper or foil. Pour the icing onto the center of the cake and use a long metal spatula to spread the icing evenly over the top. Allow the icing to set for 30 minutes. If the edges of the cake are overbaked, now's the time to trim them. Then cut the gingerbread into 9 even pieces.