Alices Curious French Toast Bread Pudding Food

ALICE'S CURIOUS FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, orange and lemon juices, and cinnamon. Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and combined, but do not overbeat it. Place each slice of bread into the mixture and let it absorb the liquid thoroughly. Set the soaked bread aside on a plate.
• 3. Place a griddle or a large frying pan over medium heat and coat it with butter. When the griddle is hot, cook each slice of bread until it is nicely golden on both sides, keeping the heat at a level that allows the bread to cook through evenly without burning the egg mixture. As they are cooked, set the slices aside on a plate.
• 4. While the bread is cooking, make the pudding base: Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and then remove it from the heat. Place the tea leaves in a tea strainer and steep them in the cream for 3 minutes (or simply put the loose tea in the cream, steep for 3 minutes, and then strain carefully). Discard the tea leaves and reserve the apricot Brandy cream.
• 5. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, beaten egg, and sugar, and whisk to combine. Add a little of the egg mixture to the apricot Brandy cream and continuing to whisk, gradually add the remaining egg mixture until it's fully combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Set the pudding base aside.
• 6. When all the bread has been cooked on the griddle, cut the slices into 1 × 1-inch squares.
• 7. Pour the pudding base evenly into the eight ramekins (they will be about one-fourth full), and then lay in the bread squares (the bread may extend above the edge of the ramekins). Place the ramekins on a large baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden and crispy and the liquid is bubbling.
• 8. To serve, drizzle maple syrup, crème anglaise, fruit coulis, and/or confectioners' sugar on top-whatever your heart desires! Slices of fresh fruit work wonderfully as a garnish or a side. Be generous, whatever you do!

FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Arrange the bread in two layers in a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish, cutting the bread to fit the dish. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread and press the bread down. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.
• Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come an inch up the side of the baking dish. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it so the foil doesn't touch the pudding. Make two slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil, and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
• With a small sieve, dust lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve hot in squares with maple syrup on the side.

FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Cut the bread lengthwise into 1-inch-thick strips, cutting as far down through the loaf as you can without cutting all the way through. Rotate the bread 90 degrees and cut 1-inch strips in the other direction, without cutting all the way through. Put the loaf into a 1 1/2-quart oval baking dish.
• Whisk the milk, brown sugar, cinnamon and eggs in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, making sure it gets in all the crevices. Stuff the chocolate pieces in between the rows. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Uncover the bread and drizzle with the butter. Put the baking dish in a larger baking dish and pour hot water into the larger dish until it comes 1 inch up the sides of the smaller dish. Bake until the eggs mixture is completely cooked and the top of the bread is dark golden brown and crispy, 60 to 65 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve with maple syrup on the side for dipping.

BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING TOAST

Steps:

• Use a bread knife to remove the crusts and square up the brioche loaf. Cut the loaf into 3cm slices, then cut each slice into three rectangular fingers. Whisk together the eggs, milk and Irish cream liqueur in a shallow dish. Put the brioche fingers in the egg mixture and leave for about 5 seconds on each side until they are soaked but still holding their shape.
• Put a large frying pan on a medium heat, add the butter and heat until sizzling. Add the brioche fingers to the pan and slowly cook on a medium-high heat, turning so all sides are an even, golden brown. Remove the toast from the pan and toss in the sugar, then transfer them to a baking tray or rack. Use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar on all sides or, if you don't have a blowtorch, grill on each side for 1 min, or until the sugar has melted. Leave the brioche to cool and the sugar crust to harden.
• Tip the crème fraîche into a bowl and whisk until it thickens and forms soft peaks - initially it will loosen but continue to whisk. Serve a big pile of the toast in the middle of the table with the crème fraîche for dipping into or spreading over.

FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, throughly mix the first group of eggs, sugars, spices, salt, vanilla, and buttermilk.
• Dip the challah bread in the mix and cook in a pan until nicely browned on both sides. There will be just enough of the mix to dip all the pieces, but if you're worried make a tiny bit more.
• Dice the french toast into 1 inch pieces and place in a large greased casserole dish (it should be a bit bigger and deeper than a 9"x13" inch glass dish).
• In a large bowl, throughly mix the second group of eggs, sugar, butter, spices, salt, vanilla, and milk.
• Pour over the diced french bread and mix to make sure all the pieces have been coated. If the custard doesn't reach the top, don't worry, it won't.
• Bake uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes, and then cover with foil for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the custard sets.
• Take out and uncover. After it cools completely, it can put in the refrigerator.
• Enjoy!

FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish.
• Place bread in dish.
• Whisk eggs and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; pour over bread.
• Using spatula, lightly press down on bread to moisten completely.
• Cover with foil and chill overnight.
• Place foil-covered dish in cold oven.
• Set oven at 350°F and bake 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and continue to bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes longer.
• Spoon pudding onto plates, sprinkle with toasted nuts, and serve with warm maple syrup.