Are you ready for Fall? Check out these beautiful bread puddings.
a sweet journey through baked: frontiers | explorations | elements | occasions
by susan
Are you ready for Fall? Check out these beautiful bread puddings.
by susan
Everyone ready for Fall, or is it too early for pumpkin?
Posting date is September 7th!
CHOCOLATE-CHUNK PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING
For the Chocolate-Chunk Pumpkin Bread
1 1⁄2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (see page 100)
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1 3⁄4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
For the Pumpkin Custard
2 large eggs, plus 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 cups half-and-half, at room temperature
13⁄4 cups pumpkin puree (see page 100)
41⁄2 ounces (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Yield: One 9-by-13-inch pudding (18 to 24 servings)
Make the Chocolate-Chunk Pumpkin Bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.
In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until combined. Add the sugar and whisk again. Whisk the eggs into the mixture, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add 2⁄3 cup room-temperature water and whisk until combined. Stir in the chocolate.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 65 to 85 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and cool completely, 30 to 45 minutes. The loaf can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.
Toast the bread
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the loaf into 1-inch cubes (you should have approximately 7 cups of cubes). Spread the cubes out onto the prepared baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, flip the cubes with a spatula, and return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cubes are toasted. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool, 15 to 25 minutes.
Make the Pumpkin Custard
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar until combined.
Add the half-and-half, pumpkin puree, and 5 tablespoons of the butter and whisk until well combined. Add the salt, cloves, cayenne, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and vanilla and whisk again. Stir in 6 cups of the toasted bread cubes until all the cubes are coated in the mixture. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
Assemble the bread pudding
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13 glass or light-colored metal baking pan (glass is preferred).
Toss the reserved 1 cup of bread cubes with the remaining butter.
Pour the custard into the prepared pan. Scatter the buttered cubes over the custard.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the custard is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before serving warm. Feel free to serve as is, or with unsweetened whipped cream or caramel sauce (page 59), or simply sprinkle the top with sifted confectioners’ sugar.
Bread pudding tastes best fresh from the oven, but you can refrigerate any leftover bread pudding, tightly covered, for up to 2 days. Slice and reheat it in a 225-degree-F oven until warm to the touch before serving.
by Sheri
Nine recipes to go in Baked Elements! Sticking with bananas once more, next we’re baking a peanut butter-spiked banana bread. You can make the peanut butter from the book, or use store-bought; go creamy instead of crunchy; or up your game and add even more peanuts. Posting date is August 31!
Crunchy Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Yield: One 9-by-5-inch loaf
1 1⁄2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 rounded cup mashed bananas (2 1⁄2 to 3 bananas)
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1⁄4 cup whole milk
1 cup crunchy peanut butter (see page 26)
4 ounces (about 2⁄3 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
In a large bowl, whisk together 11⁄2 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and baking soda.
In another large bowl, whisk together the bananas, oil, eggs, milk, and peanut butter. Toss the chocolate chips in the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour, then stir the chocolate chips into the banana mixture.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into it. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ever so gently until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
The loaf can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container or wrapped tightly, for up to 3 days.
by Sheri
Even our resident banana haters bravely baked this week. And West Side Baker went rogue, although I think baking for a wedding has redefined what it means to go rogue!
by Sheri
We’re now on our last ten recipes in Elements! Leave your links for the tart here.
Posting date is Aug. 24!
Chocolate Banana Tart
For the Classic Sweet Tart Crust
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
For the Chocolate Ganache Filling
6 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), chopped coarsely
6 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, chopped coarsely
2⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the Bananas and Caramel
2 ripe bananas
2 1⁄2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Assembly
1 1⁄2 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon orange juice
Make the Classic Sweet Tart Crust
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat just until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the flour all at once, and beat just until the dough comes together in a ball. Do not overbeat or your crust will be tough.
Remove the dough from the bowl, shape it into a disk with your hands, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10-inch circle about 1⁄4 inch thick. (Note: the dough will be sticky. Make sure to turn it over with a bench knife or offset spatula as needed and keep the work surface floured.)
Ever so gently guide the dough, without pulling it, into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom and lightly press it into place. Roll the rolling pin over the pan to trim off the excess. Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill it three-quarters full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool.
Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling
Place the chopped chocolates in a small heatproof bowl (or a large pourable glass measuring cup).
In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream just to boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and wait 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Add the butter and stir until it is completely melted and incorporated. Set aside to cool.
Make the Bananas and Caramel
Slice the bananas on the diagonal into just-under-1-inch slices.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir (with a rubber spatula) until dissolved. Once the mixture starts to bubble, add the bananas, flat sides down, and cook for about 45 seconds or until browned on the bottom. Then carefully flip the bananas (you might want to use tongs to flip each banana slice individually) and cook on the other side until browned, about 45 seconds. Remove the caramelized banana slices to a plate. Dab the slices with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Add the cream to the pan and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat until the mixture forms a thick caramel sauce, about 2 minutes, then immediately remove from heat and pour into a small bowl or ramekin to cool. (The caramel will overcook or blacken if you leave it in the skillet, even with the heat turned off.)
Assemble the tart
Pour half of the cooled ganache into the tart shell. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set.
Thinly slice the raw bananas on a diagonal. In a medium bowl, toss the slices in the orange juice, then transfer them to a paper towel and pat dry. Arrange them in a single layer over the chilled ganache to cover the bottom of the tart completely. Top with the remaining ganache. (If the ganache has already started to set, warm it in short bursts in the microwave.) Return the tart to the refrigerator for 5 more minutes.
Decorate the top of the tart with the caramelized bananas and reserved caramel. Serve immediately.
The tart can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 24 hours, but it tastes best within a few hours of assembling. That said, a few taste testers have claimed that they like the consistency of the tart once it has been refrigerated overnight.
To each his own!