Torta Paesana Italian Chocolate Bread Pudding Food

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in a round, buttered, deep dish pie plate. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, a dash of salt, vanilla, cocoa, and cinnamon . Add chocolate chips. Pour over bread and gently mix. Let sit for 15 minutes, so bread can absorb mixture. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until firm but not dry.

TORTA PAESANA (ITALIAN CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Soak cookies and bread in the milk overnight.
• The day after blend the soaked mixture in an electric mixer.
• Pour mixture in a medium bowl, fold in eggs and then the rest of the ingredients until well blended.
• Grease a 9 inches round pan and coat greased bottom and sides with some flour or breadcrumb.
• Pour mixture in prepared pan and bake in preheated oven (175°C – 350°F) for about 45 minutes.
• Serve cold.
• Enjoy!

CIOCCOLATO PARADISO (ITALIAN CHOCOLATE PARADISE BISCOTTI)

Steps:

• Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown (do not overcook). Let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolks, vanilla and orange zest.
• In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, mixing just until crumbly.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff soft peaks form and beat in remaining sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
• Fold meringue into the crumbly dough, mixing until it clings together.
• Cut nuts into halves or thirds and fold in along with chocolate.
• Divide dough in half. Form into two logs on a greased and floured baking sheet making them about 1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 inches wide and 16 inches long, sppacing them at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the middle of a preheated 325 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until set and golden brown.
• Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack. Let cool 5 minutes. Place on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inch thick.
• Place the slices upright on a baking sheet and return to the oven at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes to dry slightly. Let cool on a rack. Store in a tightly covered container. Makes about 4 dozen biscotti.

TORTA DI PANE (RUSTIC BREAD PUDDING CAKE FROM TICINO

Steps:

• Grease a 10 inch round cake pan.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees with rack in middle of oven.
• Put the bread cubes in a food processor and pulse to make 1/8 inch crumbs.
• Put crumbs in large mixing bowl with lemon zest.
• Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat and then pour over the bread to cover it completely.
• Let mixture stand for 10 minutes so the bread absorbs the milk.
• In another large bowl whisk the eggs and then add the sugar in a stream.
• Then whisk in the cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg and vanilla.
• Stir the bread soaked mixture into this.
• Stir in the ground almonds and raisins.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Decorate with the almonds and pine nuts in a symmetrical pattern.
• Dot the top of the batter with the butter.
• Place the pan in the oven and immediately lower heat to 350 degrees.
• Bake the cake until it is a deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about an hour.
• Cool the cake in the pan, on a rack.
• Invert cake onto rack and then invert again onto platter.
• Dust cake with confectioner's sugar before serving.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Day before you want the pudding or early on the same day, preheat the oven to 350*F and butter and flour a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
• Whisk together dry ingredients.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add 3 of the eggs one at a time, then add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Beat until just blended.
• Melt 4 ounces of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth.
• Spoon half of the batter into the loaf pan, spoon half of the melted chocolate on top, swirling it into the batter with a skewer. Repeat with remaining batter and chocolate.
• Bake for about 1 hour, or until a metal skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto the rack and turn right side up. Cool completely before proceeding.
• Butter a 9 X 13 inch casserole dish and heat oven to 375*F/180*C.
• Slice the pumpkin loaf into 1/2 inch thick slices, arranging them, overlapping to till the baking dish.
• Beat the 4 remaining eggs and egg yolks together until frothy with an electric mixer on medium speed. Slowly beat in the sugar, beating until thick and lemon coloured. Stir in the pumpkin puree, half and half, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
• Carefully ladle the custard mixture over the bread slices in the casserole until the dish is filled to the top. Evenly distribute the the remaining chocolate chunks over top.
• Set the baking dish into a larger baking pan and fill the larger pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the casserole.
• Place in the hot oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
• Protecting your hands with heavy oven mitts, using a large spoon, push the bread down until the still liquid custard rises in the dish. Spoon the custard evenly over the bread slices again. Bake for about 10 minutes more until a skewer inserted in the center comes out barely clean. Let cool on a rack.
• Serve sprinkled with confectioners sugar accompanied with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche.

ITALIAN BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Whisk together first 6 ingredients until blended.
• Layer half of Texas toast in a lightly greased 11x7" baking dish.; sprinkle with half each of tomatoes, bacon, and cheese. Repeat layers once. Pour eff mixture over toast and cheese. Cover and chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake casserole for 50-55 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Line a 9 inch pie plate with plastic wrap, leaving a few inches overhang on all edges.
• Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl, adding the cornstarch whisking until no lumps remain.
• In a medium saucepan, add the cream and milk and simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk-cream into the egg bowl, whisking steadily, to temper the eggs. When blended, slowly pour the tempered eggs back into the saucepan of milk and cream, again whisking constantly.
• Put the pan back over medium-low heat, and whisk steadily until the custard heats and thickens. Don't let it boil, though it should bubble occasionally. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until it is quite thick.
• Remove from the heat, and stir in the crumbled biscotti, chopped chocolate, nuts, and cocoa powder. Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted and all the ingredients are evenly blended. Pour the custard into the pie plate, and cover with plastic wrap, laying it directly on the top of the pudding. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve: Remove the top sheet of plastic, invert onto a serving plate, and cut into wedges. Top with unsweetened whipped cream and coarsely crumbled biscotti (if you have any left) or crushed hazelnuts; in season, strawberries or raspberries would be wonderful.