Makeover Bread Pudding Food

BEST BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with the butter.
• Toast the bread cubes on a baking sheet until they start to dry and harden, about 20 minutes. Set aside. Raise the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Whisk together the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, whole eggs and yolks in a large bowl. Add the bread to the bowl and stir until completely coated. Cover and let soak for about 30 minutes, pushing the bread down occasionally so that all the cubes are soaked. Meanwhile, pour hot water over the raisins, if using, and soak for 10 minutes. Once plumped, drain the raisins, add to the bowl of bread and gently toss.
• Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake until the custard is set and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the apricots and raisins in a small dish, pour over the brandy and leave to soak, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, beat the egg and sugar together in a medium bowl, then whisk in the custard powder with a balloon whisk until smooth. Warm the milk in a small non-stick saucepan; then, when it's just coming up to a boil, remove from the heat and slowly stir into the egg mixture. Scrape in the vanilla seeds, drop in the pared lemon zest and vanilla pod and set aside to cool and infuse for 30 mins.
• Whisk the crème fraîche into the cooled milk. Strain this custard through a sieve into a jug. Using ¼ tsp butter from the 25g, very lightly butter a shallow ovenproof dish, about 20 x 25 x 4.5cm.
• Butter the bread on one side only with the rest of the butter, then spread over the conserve or jam. Cut each slice into 4 triangles, then lay half the triangles, jam side up, in the dish. Scatter over half the apricots and raisins, then lay the rest of the bread over the top, again jam side up. Scatter over the rest of the dried fruit and any unsoaked brandy, then pour half the custard over the bread. Leave to soak for 15 mins. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Sit the dish in a roasting tin. Pour the rest of the custard over the bread, press the bread lightly into the custard then half fill the roasting tin with hot water. Bake for 20 mins, then raise the heat to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and bake for a further 5-10 mins until the bread on top is crisp and golden. Remove and let the pudding sit for 2-3 mins. Sift over the icing sugar and serve warm.

HEALTHIER BREAD PUDDING II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Break bread into small pieces into an 8-inch square baking dish. Mix in raisins and apple. Drizzle with melted butter.
• Combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up egg mixture.
• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place bread pudding baking dish into a large roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water around pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until a knife inserted into the middle of pudding comes out mostly clean, about 45 minutes.

SOUTHERN-STYLE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• For the bread pudding: Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Put the bread cubes in the dish.
• Whisk together the half-and-half, 3/4 cup of the sugar, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Pour this mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a microwave or on the stove and drizzle over the top of the bread pudding. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.
• Place on the center rack in the oven. Bake until the edges start to rise, a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean and the pudding jiggles when shaken, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack 35 to 40 minutes before serving.
• For the sauce: Puree the berries in food processor. Press through a fine-mesh strainer. Stir in the honey and lime juice. Taste and adjust with more honey if it's not sweet enough for you.
• Serve the bread pudding with a drizzle of sauce. Garnish with additional berries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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.

BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Tear 500g white or wholemeal bread into a large mixing bowl and add 500g mixed dried fruit, 85g mixed peel and 1 ½ tbsp mixed spice.
• Pour in 600ml milk, then stir or scrunch through your fingers to mix everything well and completely break up the bread.
• Add 2 beaten large eggs, 140g light muscovado sugar and zest of 1 lemon, if using. Stir well, then set aside for 15 mins to soak.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a 20cm non-stick square cake tin (not one with a loose base).
• Stir the melted butter into the pudding mixture, tip into the tin, then scatter with demerara.
• Bake for 1½ hrs until firm and golden, covering with foil if it starts to brown too much. Turn out of the tin and strip off the paper. Cut into squares and serve warm.

EASY BREAD PUDDING RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Beat reduced-fat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add egg whites and cinnamon; mix well. Gradually beat in milk until well blended.
• Place bread in 8-inch square baking dish; top with chocolate and cream cheese mixture.
• Bake 30 to 35 min. or until center is set. Cool slightly.