Fruit Bread Pudding!

So, it is not anywhere near Thanksgiving or Christmas and you still don’t want to waste leftover bread. There is yet another remedy to this kitchen crisis! This is a fast and easy dessert that is great with ice cream. Again, use a good, hearty type bread as you don’t want to end up with mush.

Fruit Bread Pudding
Approximately 4 cups cubed bread
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 small package frozen blueberries
3 well-beaten eggs
½ cup packed, brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup fresh orange juice
Juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 cup brandy (optional – you can use apple juice)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place bread in large mixing bowl, add everything and combine well. Mixture should be very moist but not waterlogged. Add more juice, if necessary. Arrange in a buttered baking dish and bake approximately 30 minutes until golden. Tastes good hot, warm or cold. Ice cream, whipped cream, or just a dribble of heavy cream can only upgrade your creation.
Bread pudding can also be made with peaches, other berries and even canned pineapple, and such. You have to take a moment to consider your family’s tastes, the state of your budget, and your creative barometer for the day.

Custard Puff Pastry Tart

Custard Puff Pastry
This is a favorite recipe of mine that I just keep forgetting to make more often!

CUSTARD PUFF PASTRY
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
½ cup margarine or butter
1 cup water
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut ½ cup margarine or butter into 1 cup flour until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over flour mixture; mix. Gather pastry into a ball; divide into halves. Form each half into a rectangle, 12 x 3 inches on ungreased cookie sheet. They should be about 3 inches apart. Refrigerate

Heat ½ cup margarine or butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil; remove from heat. Quickly stir in extracts and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture form a ball, about one minute; remove from heat. Place mixture in mixing bowl and beat int eggs and sugar until smooth and glossy. Spread topping over each rectangle. Bake until topping is crisp and brown, about one hour; cool. Topping will shrink and fall, forming the custard top. Dust with powdered sugar before cutting and serving.

Ideas . . .
Sometimes, I like to spread a very thin layer of jam on the dough just before I add the topping.

Toasted coconut in the custard topping is nice.

Barbara’s English Trifle

This dessert will jeopardize my diet any time! There is something about the combination of flavors that encourages bite after bite in case you might miss one. It is one of those recipes that lends itself to personal creativity. Instead of the egg pudding, try make a chocolate pudding. I use a plain pound cake but no one says you can’t try a spice or chocolate one for variety. this can be made the morning of your dinner party and take one less, last-minute stress off your list.

Barbara’s English Trifle
One baked pound cake (Homemade or store-bought)
One recipe of Favorite Egg Pudding (Recipe follows)
2 pints of heavy cream
3 Tablespoons sour cream
1 jar of your favorite jam (raspberry is good, apricot interesting)
1 small package frozen, sliced strawberries, defrosted
3 tablespoons brandy
Juice and zest of one orange, mixed together with brandy
One can chunk pineapple, well-drained
Maraschino cherries to garnish

Although you can use an ordinary, large serving bowl, if you have a big, glass one, it makes a nice display. Have it cleaned, shiny and standing by!

Place your heavy cream and sour cream in an electric mixing bowl and beat until stiff and thick. Have your Egg Pudding at your work station.

Slice the Pound Cake into ½-inch slices. Cut them into triangles. Spread your choice of jam over each slice. Place a layer of cake in the bottom of your serving dish. Sprinkle with a little brandy mixture, some pineapple, a thin layer of strawberries and a good serving of Egg Pudding. Add a layer of whipped cream and repeat until you end up with a top layer of cake. Whatever you have left at this point in the way of fruit, layer it on and top with a final layer of Egg Pudding. Cover the top with the rest of the whipped cream, garnish with cherries and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you have other preferences on fruit for your English Trifle, just about anything works! The main ingredients are the cake, pudding and whipped cream. Your imagination and the contents of your cupboard will design your own dessert.

My Favorite Egg Pudding
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
dash salt
4 cups milk
6 egg yolks, slightly beaten
4 tablespoons margarine or butter
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Grated zest of one orange, optional

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and yolks in a large saucepan. Whisk thoroughly. Stir in milk gradually. Cook mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and begins to boil. Continue to boil for approximately one minute. Remove from heat; stir in margarine, extracts and orange zest. Best eaten slightly warm or cold.

Easy Chocolate Cherry Cake – A Possibility for Mother’s Day?

Chocolate and cherry is a favorite flavor combination for my son. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to keep it on hand and share with you. Look for some jarred, more sour cherries for this. The canned ones were a bit too sweet but you can always doctor them with some fresh lemon juice before adding.

Vegetable oil spray a 9 x13-inch baking dish. I like using the glass, Pyrex type. No such pan in your kitchen? Use a couple of layer cake pans or even a tube cake pan. Just adjust the time for the changes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 box chocolate cake mix – your choice.
20-ounce can of cherry pie filling
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon
Grated zest of one orange (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in your mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until the mixture is just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan(s). Bake for 40-45 minutes (depending on size you used for pans). Test cake by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. It should come out ‘clean’ with no wet batter.

Cool completely and serve with freshly whipped cream.

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a mixer bowl and beat until stiffened and fluffy. Don’t over beat as you aren’t looking for making butter here!

You can either frost your cold cake with the whipped cream or serve it along side a generous slice. The whipped cream holds up well for about three days in the refrigerator.