Chocolate Brandy Pudding Food

BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the dates in a bowl, pour over 250ml boiling water and set aside. Butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base.
• Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs in a large bowl, then beat with an electric hand whisk until well blended. Add the cooled date mix and beat again to make a sloppy batter
• Stir in the fruits, pecans and ginger, then pour into the pudding basin and cover the basin with pleated baking paper and foil (see tips, below). Put the basin in a roasting tin half-filled with boiling water, then steam in the oven for 3 hrs until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the brandy syrup. Put the sugar and 75ml water in a pan and stir over the heat until syrupy. Stir in the brandy and remove from the heat. When the pudding is ready, remove from the oven, take off the foil and paper, and push a skewer into the centre - it should come out clean. Pour over the brandy syrup so it soaks into the pudding, then cover until ready to serve. Will keep in the fridge for a week.
• To serve, warm the pudding in the turned-off oven once you have taken out the potatoes, or microwave on High, covered with cling film, for 5 mins. Warm the butterscotch sauce (see related recipes) in a pan or in the microwave on Medium for 2 mins. Turn out the pudding onto a plate, pour over some of the sauce and serve the rest in a jug. Top with the holly sprig and serve with good-quality vanilla ice cream

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• For the pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium pot add the cream, milk, liquid from the cherries, maple syrup and salt and bring to a boil.
• In a separate bowl crack and whisk the eggs. In a larger bowl add the dark chocolate.
• Pour the warm liquid into the dark chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted. Slowly whisk in the eggs. Mix in the diced baguette and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Place a cherry into each of eight 4-ounce ramekins, then fill the ramekins with the bread pudding mixture.
• Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
• For the brandy whipped cream: Whip the cream, brandy and granulated sugar until it holds stiff peaks. Serve the puddings topped with the cream.

CHOCOLATE & APRICOT PUD WITH GLOSSY CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Butter a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin and put a circle of greaseproof paper in the base. Put the apricots in a small pan and add the brandy. Bring slowly to the boil, then simmer, turning the apricots occasionally until all the brandy has soaked in. Leave until cool enough to handle.
• Tip the ground almonds into a bowl, then sift over the cocoa, flour and baking powder and mix everything together.
• In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.Gradually beat in the eggs and milk.
• Chop half the apricots into small pieces. Chop the chocolate into large chunks. Lightly stir the flour mixture into the cake mix, followed by the apricots and chocolate.
• Put the remaining whole apricots into the bowl and spoon over the honey. Add the pudding mixture and smooth the top. Cover with double thickness buttered greaseproof paper and tie down. Trim off the excess paper, then overwrap in foil, tucking the ends under the edges of the paper.
• Put the basin into a large pan and pour boiling water into the pan, to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover and steam for 21⁄2 hours, until it feels firm. (The pudding can be made to this stage up to 2 days ahead. Reheat by steaming for 1 hour, or microwave on medium for 6-8 minutes.)
• Towards the end of the cooking time, make the sauce. Break up the chocolate and put in a small pan with the cream and brandy if using. Warm gently, stirring lightly until smooth and glossy.
• Cool the pudding in the bowl for 10 minutes, then turn out and serve with the chocolate sauce and cream or good vanilla ice cream.

NANA'S HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Sift and whisk sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt together in a saucepan.
• Heat saucepan over medium heat. Pour milk in slowly, whisking constantly until incorporated. Cook, stirring often with a metal spoon, until pudding is noticeably thicker and clings to the spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Divide between 4 small bowls and serve immediately, or chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in. springform pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Cube remaining butter; place in a small saucepan. Add chocolate chips and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat., In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, espresso powder and salt. Gently stir in bread; let stand until bread is softened, about 15 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes., Meanwhile, for sauce, heat cream in a small heavy saucepan until bubbles form around sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, brown sugar and salt. Whisk a small amount of hot cream into egg mixture; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in butter. Fold in pecans and coconut. If desired, stir in brandy. Cool., For whipped cream, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and, if desired, brandy; beat until soft peaks form., Loosen sides of pan with a knife. Carefully run a knife around edge of springform pan to loosen; remove rim from pan. Serve pudding warm with sauce and whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE-BRANDY BREAD PUDDING WITH CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Brush 8x8x2 glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
• Simmer half and half and brandy in heavy large saucepan3minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add 1 cup chocolate chips. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
• Whisk in brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Let stand until cool, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk in eggs, then vanilla and salt.
• Stir in bread. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Spread half of pudding mixture in prepared dish.
• Sprinkle with 2 cups chocolate chips.
• Cover with remaining pudding mixture.
• (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and Chill)
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and firm in center, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven; let cool 10 minutes.
• Beat chilled cream, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl until peaks form.
• Spoon pudding into bowls. Top with whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE-DRIED CHERRY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dark chocolate chips in a large heatproof bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until well combined.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, milk, brandy, orange zest, vanilla seeds, salt, and granulated sugar to a boil; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot liquid over the dark chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth. While whisking constantly, pour the dark chocolate mixture into the eggs, mixing until combined. Add the bread and toss gently to coat. Transfer the bread mixture to the refrigerator and cool to room temperature. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cherries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Put eight 4-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet and lightly coat them with cooking spray.
• Stir the bread pudding mixture to evenly distribute the chocolate chips and cherries. Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins. Sprinkle a little Turbinado sugar over the top of each pudding and bake until puffed and set, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C.
• Lightly grease 8 ramekins.
• Melt cho and butter in bowl over pot of simmering water.
• Set aside when combined and melted.
• Using electric beaters beat sugar and eggs and yolks together till pale.
• Fold choc mixture into egg mixture alternately with flour.
• Spoon pudding into ramekins, cook 15 minutes till just set.
• Set aside for 15 minutes then pour a little brandy over each pudding.
• Dust with cocoa and serve with ice cream.

BREAD PUDDING WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• For pudding.
• Soak bread in milk.
• Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla.
• Coat 13 x 9 baking dish with the butter before adding pudding. Or, individual ramekin dishes.
• Sprinkle top with cinnamon.
• Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• For Sauce.
• Bring cream to a boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted.
• Stir in brandy.
• Serve warm sauce over warm pudding.

CHOCOLATE & BRANDY PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Slowly add the milk, oil and vanilla extract stirring after each addition. Stir until batter is thick.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar with the 1/4c sugar and the 1/4c cocoa. Sprinkle (or sift) the top of the batter with the sugar mixture. Mix the water and brandy together. Then pour the water and brandy over the entire top.
• Bake approximately 30 minutes or until the cake is set around the sides and the top is loose and bubbly. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slice or scoop to serve.
• Serve with a complementary scoop of ice cream.
• CHERRY VARIATION: DO THIS FIRST: Drain cherry juice and set aside. Soak cherry's in brandy. Continued with step 1 of the recipe. Add the cherry juice to the batter.
• When batter is in prepared pan, remove cherry's from brandy, After pouring the water/brandy mixture onto the cake, arrange the cherry's on the top of the cake.
• Serve with dollop of whipped creme.

CHOCOLATE BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring cream to a boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted.
• Stir in brandy.
• You can use a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up.
• Serve warm sauce over warm chocolate Bread pudding.

CHOCOLATE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate and cream together in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Warm the milk in a large pan.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl or jug. Pour in the hot milk, whisking as you do, then add the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
• Remove the crusts from the bread (these will freeze well for breadcrumbs). Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the loaf into 4 or 5 slices along the length of the loaf (approx. 2cm thick) - this is easiest if you score where you want to cut along the top before slicing.
• Spread one side of each slice with the spread of your choice. Roll the slices up, from the shorter ends, then cut each roll in half or three so you have 10-12 roly-polys. Place them cut-side up in a baking dish. Pour over the chocolate custard, making sure each roll is soaked. Cover with cling film and leave for at least 30 mins so the bread can soak up all the custard, or you can put it in the fridge overnight, if you like.
• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Brush the tops of the bread swirls with the marmalade, then bake for 45 mins until the bread has puffed up and the custard is just set. Brush with marmalade again for a glossy finish, then serve warm with double cream.