Bread Pudding

A couple days ago I made a post referencing a loaf of French bread. It was odd having a deliciously new loaf of crusty bread lying around specifically waiting for it to go stale, but that's exactly what I was doing. In mind I had visions of a custardy bread pudding, replete with raisins, swirled with cinnamon and nutmeg. The day came when I finally had the time to make it, only to find out I was completely shot of raisins! I still had dried cranberries from the quiche I had made, but really didn't want cranberry taste in my bread pudding. Time was tight, the raisins would have to be missed.



I used a recipe found from Simply Recipes, changing a few things around. Instead of allspice I used simply cinnamon and nutmeg, and of course there were the absent raisins. I baked two versions: one in a mini bundt pan that came in a set of 4 that I ad just picked up, and 1 in a cake pan to share with my coworkers. The single loaf I used was more than enough, even with a few pieces taken from the end for the French Toast. I loved how the mini version turned out, and enjoyed it when it was barely cool!

French Bread Pudding

1 loaf French bread torn into pieces
4 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F.Soak the bread in milk in a large mixing bowl. Crush with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Gently stir the raisins into the mixture.

Pour butter into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour in the bread mix and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan.

I topped mine with a little homemade glaze: 1/4 cup sugar with just enough water to give it a thick consistency, then drizzled over the pudding.

Let Them Me Eat Cake

Light and airy, cream and custard adding just the right amount of rich sweetness, and tart little strawberries making their maidenly presence. We are heading full into autumn here in the Bay Area, but there's always time for one last summery cake. Unfortunately, I do not have the recipe for this delectable morsel, but I am tempted to give it a whirl if my taste buds and memory do not play tricks on me. The whipped cream topping wasn't exactly the freshest, and neither were the strawberries- but the custard and cake itself made up for it, a delightful mix that brought to mind green grass and early summer. We've had a bit of a heat wave here in the Valley- the recent autumnal weather a near distant memory as I bit into virginal white cream topping, and blushing berries.

I have to admit, as far as desserts go, I'm a sucker for custard. Anything creamy and rich, I'm there. Flans, creme brulee, creme caramel... the list goes one. There was a book I read at an impressionable age, the details and plot long forgotten. One bit stuck with me, however- a young duckling planting his feet firmly into a custard. Goodness knows why, I'm sure the story led up to it somehow, but I simply remember thinking of the chilled custard surrounding webbed feet, and agreeing that (were you not going to eat it) it might be a nice feeling. Even the word itself is thick and cool, inspiring thoughts of sweet summer shade, and eggy desserts.