Toffee Pear Crisp Bread Pudding Food

STICKY TOFFEE PEAR PUDDING

Steps:

• Peel the pears and cut the bottom off each to give a flat base - cut them to a height that will fit snugly in your tin. Use a melon baller or small knife to cut out the pips from the base. Roughly chop the pear scraps, discarding the pips, and set aside. Tip the sugar, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, zests and 600ml water into a saucepan large enough to fit all the pears. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears, cover with a lid or a piece of baking parchment, and poach gently for 15 mins until a knife easily slides into a pear. Leave to cool in the liquid.
• Now make the sponge. Put the dates and linseeds in a saucepan and add the almond milk. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 2-3 mins until the dates are soft. Pour into a food processer and blitz until smooth. Add the oil and blend again, then scrape into a bowl and set aside to cool a little. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin (a loose -bottomed one if possible) with a strip of baking parchment.
• Put the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with 1/ 2 tsp salt. Mix well, breaking up any lumps of sugar with your fingers, and shaking the bowl a few times to encourage any remaining lumps to come to the surface. Add the date and oil mixture, and stir well. Fold in the chopped pear scraps. Scrape the cake mixture into the tin, then nestle in the pears, standing straight up, so that the bottom halves are covered. Bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is cooked through. Insert a skewer to the centre to check - it should come out clean. If there is any wet cake mixture on the skewer, return the cake to the oven and bake for 10 mins more, then check again.
• Meanwhile, bring the pear poaching liquid back to the boil and simmer until reduced to a glossy syrup. When the pudding is cooked, cool for 5-10 mins, then brush all over with the syrup, saving a little extra to serve alongside, with vegan ice cream, if you like.

TOFFEE BREAD PUDDING WITH CINNAMON TOFFEE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease 13"x9"x2" baking pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, coffee, vanilla and salt.
• Stir in bread cubes, coating completely with liquid.
• Let soak for 10 minutes.
• Stir in 1/2 cup toffee bits.
• Pour into greased pan.
• Sprinkle remaining toffee bits on top.
• Bake until surface is set (40-45 minutes).
• Let cool 30 minutes.
• Combine sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until toffee melts and mixture is well blended (makes about 2/3 cup sauce).
• Cut pudding into squares, top with sauce and serve with ice cream.

COFFEE TOFFEE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly butter an 8' square baking pan.
• Place cream, milk, ground coffee and lemon peel in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.
• Heat just until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
• Line a fine-holed sieve with cheesecloth or a single layer of paper towel.
• Set over a medium-size bowl.
• Very slowly pour cream mixture through sieve (Don't worry if a few coffee grounds slip through, most of the grounds will sink to bottom of pan).
• Discard grounds and peel.
• While milk is heating place bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Toast in preheated oven, stirring occasionally until lightly golden, 6 to 9 minutes.
• Remove from oven, but leave oven on.
• Place bread in prepared pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk eggs with sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
• Gradually whisk in cream mixture, then add butter. Pour over bread.
• Sprinkle chips over top. Press bread and chips into cream mixture several times to ensure bread is well covered.
• Cover with a lightly buttered piece of foil.
• Set pan in a larger baking dish.
• Fill larger dish with enough very hot water to halfway up the sides of bread pudding pan.
• Bake until pudding sets, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Serve warm.
• *For a fabulous dessert, make our creamy bread pudding and jazz it up with coffee and butterscotch or chocolate chips. Cut into squares, top with a dollop of cinnamon dusted whipped cream and a curl of lemon peel.