Tricias Vanilla Bread Food

VANILLA BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Space two racks evenly in the oven.
• Cut five 3/4-inch-thick slices of brioche and place them in one layer on a sheet pan. Trim some of the crusts from the remaining brioche and cut in 1-inch dice. Spread out on a second sheet pan. Put both pans in the oven for 5 minutes to lightly toast the bread.
• Meanwhile, for the custard, whisk together the whole eggs, yolks, half-and-half, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla and vanilla seeds in a large bowl and set aside. Line a 3-quart baking dish with the whole slices of brioche, cutting them to fit in one layer. Distribute the diced brioche on top. Pour on the custard and press lightly so all the bread is soaked with custard. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Place the dish in a roasting pan large enough to allow the baking dish to sit flat. Pour about 1 inch of the hottest tap water into the roasting pan, being sure not to get any water into the custard. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm with the melted ice cream.

VANILLA ORANGE TART

Steps:

• In a food processor, process the vanilla wafers to crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened.
• Press the crumbs into a 10-inch deep-dish tart pan to line the bottom and sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the gelatin with 2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepot, combine the milk with another 1/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally.
• A ladleful at a time, slowly pour the heated milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking to temper the yolks. When half of the milk has been added, pour the hot egg mixture back into the saucepot, whisking constantly. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbles start appearing on the surface.
• Whisk the bloomed gelatin into the custard. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any lumps or overcooked yolks.
• Pour the strained custard into the tart shell and refrigerate for 1 hour, until set.
• In a small saucepot, bring the orange juice and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Add the dried orange slices and simmer until syrupy, 10 minutes. Set aside to cool; the orange slices will continue to soften.
• Remove the tart from the refrigerator and decorate with the orange slices in a fan pattern. Drizzle the tart with some of the orange syrup.
• Place the tart back in the refrigerator for another hour, or until the candied oranges are set.

FRENCH-MEX TOASTIES

Steps:

• For the French toasts: Place a cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt until the bubbles subside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and eggs. Gently dip the muffins into the egg mixture; allow any excess egg to drip off. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a serving platter and shake the confectioners' sugar over the top.
• For the whipped cream: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Use an electric mixer to whip until soft peaks form.
• For the Mexican chocolate sauce: In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate fudge sauce and cream. Microwave until warm, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the chili powder.
• For serving: Serve the French toasts with the whipped cream, Mexican chocolate sauce, maple syrup and dulce de leche.

SWEET POTATO PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• On a foil-covered baking sheet, bake the sweet potatoes until soft, about 1 hour. Remove and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes, place the flesh in a large mixing bowl, add the butter and mash until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sugar, milk, cornmeal, salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Arrange the pecan halves on top of the pudding and top with the brown sugar. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla by small droplets over the brown sugar. Bake until the top is browned, about 45 minutes.

BLUEBERRY PANCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the blueberries and toss them gently in the flour mixture; this will help keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Remove the skillet from the oven and add the oil and butter to the hot skillet. Let the butter melt completely, then pour the oil and butter into the buttermilk mixture and whisk together, fully incorporating the hot fats. Add the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently until combined and most lumps are gone. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake until the cake is fluffy and golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle, 30 to 35 minutes.
• For the white pancake syrup: While the pancake cooks, add the corn syrup, vanilla and cinnamon to a small saucepan. Stir together and cook over low heat until the syrup is warm and pourable.
• Slice the warm pancake in wedges and serve with the white pancake syrup.

HONEY CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a standard-size loaf pan and line with parchment to overhang the edges by a few inches.
• Stir together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine the vegetable oil, applesauce and honey in a mixer bowl and beat on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until light, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat on low just until combined. Add the carrots, pecans and coconut and beat just to incorporate. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then unmold and cool completely.
• For the cream cheese glaze: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the milk, a tablespoon at a time, to make a thick, spreadable glaze. Spoon the glaze over the cake and spread to the edges.

BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into a well-seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet (see Cook's Note) and place over medium-high heat. Pour the cornmeal into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the cornmeal and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. With a fork, stir in enough of the buttermilk to make a batter that is thick but can be easily poured into the hot skillet. You may not need all 3 cups.
• Carefully pour the batter into the skillet. The oil will come up around the edges. Use the back of a spoon to smooth this over the top of the batter. Continue to heat on the stovetop for 1 minute, then transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the cornbread until browned on top, about 20 minutes. Immediately turn the cornbread out onto a cooling rack to keep the crust crisp.

TRICIA'S VANILLA BREAD

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl using a spoon wetted frequently. Mix well until all of the flour is wetted.
• Tip the dough out onto a slightly floured counter and knead until uniformly mixed (about 3 to 4 minutes).
• Place dough in an oiled container that is straight sided or graduated as in a measuring container.
• After 10 minutes, remove the dough to an oiled counter and stretch and fold it envelope-style, top to bottom and side to side. Return to the container.
• After 10 more minutes, repeat the stretching and folding and return to the container, noting the volume of the dough.
• Cover the container and allow to double in volume (20 to 30 minutes).
• Tip the dough out onto the counter and gently spread the dough into a rectangle no wider than a medium bread loaf pan. Roll the dough into a cylinder as long as the loaf pan and seal the seams. Oil the pan and place the dough into the pan seam down.
• Cover the pan with oiled plastic and let proof until dough is nearly doubled in volume (usually about 1 inch above the lid of the pan).
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake the loaf in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, turning the pan half way during the bake for even baking.
• The bread is fully baked when the internal temperature is 190 to 210 degrees and top crust is browned.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and the loaf pan and cool on a rack for about 30 minutes before slicing.