By the Book: Donut Bread Pudding with Tennessee Whiskey Sauce

I've previously confessed my love of custards and their bread pudding brethren. Let's take that adoration up a level by swapping the bread in the bread pudding for donuts.  Oh, and let's add some Tennessee whiskey. Because if we're going for excess, let's go all the way, baby!


Donut Bread Pudding with Tennessee Whiskey Sauce
From The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker
Makes one 8x8 pan

This is one of the cookbooks I've been repeatedly returning to for delicious baked goods. Plus I was very tempted by the over-the-top-ness of having a donut bread pudding.  I mean, bread pudding is rich already...and I'm making it even more rich? Heck, yeah!

A bread pudding made of donuts, drizzled with
a sauce made from Tennessee whiskey

Ingredients:
For the bread pudding:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 store bought plain cake donuts
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups heavy cream or whole milk
1/4 cup Tennessee whiskey
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the sauce:
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. Tennessee whiskey
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Preparation:
For the bread pudding:
Butter a 9x9 baking pan. Tear the donuts into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks and add them to the pan.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add the eggs and whisk until blended. Add the heavy cream/whole milk, whiskey, and vanilla; whisky until blended.  Pour the egg mixture over the donuts, pressing down gently on the donuts so they they are entirely submerged. Allow the pudding to stand at room temperature for 1 hour or cover and refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the custart is set but soft.

For the sauce:
Combine cornstarch and whiskey in a small bowl and whisk until well blended.  In a small saucepan, combine the cream and sugar over high heat, whisking constantly, about 2-3 minutes or until small bubbles begin to form.  Continue to whisk and add the cornstarch-whiskey mixture.  It will bubble vigorously for a moment, but continue whisking until the sauce is blended and thick. Avoid boiling the sauce, as this will negate the thickening effect of the cornstarch.

To serve, scoop the bread pudding--either hot or cold--into a small bowl. Top with warmed whiskey sauce and enjoy!

Note:
Store the pudding and sauce in the refrigerator. You can warm either up in the microwave, if desired.  Just use short increments (20-30 second intervals) and stir the sauce after each increment. Personally, the pudding is delicious cold and warmed sauce will contrast nicely.

Donuts soaking up the custard before cooking

Just out of the oven, golden brown

Don't let it's plain look deceive you.
This whiskey sauce packs quite a potent punch.
Especially if, like me, you're heavy-handed with the whiskey.

A Potato Salad to Meet A Stomach's Demands

I had a hankering for some potato salad.  But not the kind you'd purchase packaged in a plastic tub from the refrigerated section of your local supermarket.  I am utterly terrified of those...tubs.  The potatoes are too smushy, there are unidentifiable items scattered throughout, and the sauce - oh, the sauce! It's downright terrifying. Maybe it's mayonnaise based? Maybe it's rife with chemical stabilizers and absolutely no flavor?  I take the easy route and avoid mass-produced plastic tubs of potato salad all together.

So how am I going to address my stomach's imperious demand for delicious potato salad?  I'll make my own, thank you.  I know my way around a kitchen.  Well, my kitchen at least. And I know I love a hefty wallop of garlic, homemade mayonnaise, and baby Yukon gold potatoes.  Oh, and some lightly blanched green beans for good measure and a bit of crunch.  And what the heck, some pesto I was making for another meal anyway.  I clearly live on the edge.

Here's what I did:

1) Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and allow to cool, then cut into thick slices.
2) Toss the green beans into boiling water for a few minutes.  Immediately put them into an ice bath (cold water + ice) to preserve crispness and a brilliant emerald hue.
3)  Make pesto in the food processor. Super easy. Since I'm only using a few tablespoons of pesto, any extra can get comfortable in the freezer.
4)  Make allioli with extra garlic.  Waver between loving the overwhelmingly potent garlic flavor and hating how it makes me feel like a garlic-breathing dragon for the next day. Decide I love it.
5) Put the veggies in a large bowl.  Mix together enough allioli and pesto to thoroughly coat the veggies.  Stir and take a few judicious tastes.
6) Eat for dinner and lunch the next few days.  Love every minute of breathing garlic and knowing my potato salad is exactly what I wanted.

Allioli (left) and pesto (right), longing to meet
each other

Pesto
my very informal approach to pesto

Ingredients:
A few garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Several handfuls of fresh basil, washed and dried
A handful or two of walnuts or almonds (or your nut of choice)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Quality extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
Combine the garlic, basil, nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until it is a thick, consistently blended paste.  While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in some olive oil. Pause often to check the consistency of the pesto. I like mine on the thicker side, but add as much olive oil as you need to get your favorite consistency.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer for a few months.

Notes:
--I realize I'm missing pine nuts and parmesan cheese in this recipe.  It's deliberate.  Pine nuts are expensive, so I often use a mix of pine nuts and walnuts or entirely walnuts in most of my pestos.  And though I adore parmesan, I simply didn't have any in the refrigerator when I made this particular batch.  If I had to guess, I would say I probably adored all the parmesan out of the refrigerator and into my tummy earlier that week.

Allioli and pesto mixed together before
adding to the cooked vegetables

Allioli
adapted from In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
If you want to use a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and salt to make a paste.
If you want to use a cutting board and knife, use the flat side of the knife to mash the garlic and salt on the cutting board until it becomes a paste.  Transfer to a mixing bowl (preferably a glass or metal one).

Whatever you're doing, whisk in the lemon juice, then the egg yolk.  Make sure they're thoroughly combined.  While whisking or pounding constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream.  Continue whisking/pounding until the oil is fully emulsified.  If it seems too thick, drizzle in a few drops of hot water and mix well.  

Notes:
--Making this aillioli by hand is possible. I promise it is. Your arm may get a bit tired while whisking...but it's not very bad and the allioli is seriously worth it. Plus it means you don't have to clean the food processor or blender, which is not one of my favorite tasks.

--You can increase the amount of garlic you use to 2, even 3 cloves.  But be warned, you'll have intense garlic breath, feeling like you're breathing garlic fire.  If your roommate or significant other doesn't mind, go for it.

--This contains raw egg, so please don't consume this if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system. Try it with a red wine vinagrette instead!

The finished salad, already packed
for lunch the next day

Tequila Thyme Lemonade

Have you ever asked yourself:  What can I do with this bottle of tequila aside from making margaritas?  Please don't get me wrong. Margaritas are marvelous creatures. Truly they are. And there are very few things better for easing the tensions of the workweek than a well-made margarita.  But my bottle of tequila just begs for something more.

Enter Tequila Thyme Lemonade.  It uses tequila, it's delicious and refreshing, and it's incredibly easy to make.  It's also easy to make delicious at home, which cannot always be said for margaritas.  And lest you believe lemonade-based drinks are solely appropriate for summer days and sipping on the porch, I say you're wrong.  This beverage can be enjoyed year-round.

Tequila Thyme Lemonade
Barely adapted from We Are Not Martha (get the original recipe here) 
Makes 1 drink

After making a pitcher of lemonade by hand earlier this year, I decided to take the, uh, semi-homade route for this recipe. So I purchased a bottle of lemonade (made with lemon juice and a low amount of sugar), then read the original recipe.  Which didn't ask for lemonade. It called for muddling lemon wedges with a bit of sugar and thyme. Oops on my part.  But I already had the lemonade....so I figured I'd make the best of it and make the tequila thyme lemonade.  It worked really well, though if you find most commercial lemonades too sweet, try We Are Not Martha's original recipe.

Ingredients:
6 oz. lemonade
3 oz. silver agave tequila
2 oz. thyme simple syrup (directions below)

Preparation:
Make the thyme simple syrup:
Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, throw in several springs of fresh thyme, put the lid on the pot and allow it to sit for 10 - 15 minutes.  Discard the thyme and store the syrup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Make the drink:

Combine all the ingredients in a glass.  Give it a stir to mix. Enjoy!

Happy Friday!!!

By the Book: Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding

I'm a sucker for anything with the consistency of custard.  Creme brulee? Flan? Curd? Pastry cream? Yes, yes, yes, and yes, please!  I am aware there are people out there who don't enjoy the texture of custard.  I respect their opinion.  I vaguely understand what they mean (for me, it's one-chew-too-many of lettuce).  But I just can't understand their dislike of custard.  It's creamy, it's rich, it's got some oomph, and it's delicious on its own or playing a role in a dish.

Bread puddings fall within the category of recipe containing a form of custard.  They're also a fantastic way to use up bread, especially when you've shoved it to the back of your refrigerator and, uh, lost track of it for a bit.  Roughly torn pieces of bread soak up a rich mixture of eggs and cream that, when baked, become a bread-containing custard.  Perfect hot or cold.  Though, if you're like me, you can't be bothered to take the time to transfer a serving of bread pudding into another dish and warm it up.  Instead, you dig in with a spoon, devouring it directly out of the refrigerator.  Shhh, don't tell!

This version of bread pudding from Joy the Baker has two additional ingredients to send this variation over the edge -- bananas and bourbon.  If you're feeling really frisky, add some chocolate.  Keep in mind that chunks of chocolate (chopped from a bar of baking chocolate) will melt more than chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers to maintain chip shape during baking.  But they're both chocolate, and therefore both delicious in any form.

Those are a few cherries in the upper left corner.
Don't mind them. They were tasty, but, honestly
this bread pudding is better without them.

Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding
From Joy the Baker Cookbook:  100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson
Makes one 8-inch pan

Ingredients:
1 stale baguette (about 10 oz.)
2 mashed bananas (about 2/3 cup)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
5 large eggs
3 tbsp. bourbon
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
cinnamon or vanilla sugar
2 sliced bananas, for topping

Preparation:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.

Tear or cut the stale baguette into small and large chunks.  If your baguette isn't stale, toast the pieces on a sheet pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes.  Put the baguette pieces into the baking dish and add the mashed bananas. Use your hands to mix the mashed bananas with the torn bread, so that the banana is even distributed among the bread chunks.

In a  medium saucepan over low heat, combine milk, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is warm. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisky eggs.  While whisking, drizzle in the warm milk mixture until it is all added and well mixed.  Stir in the bourbon and vanilla.

Pour the milk mixture over the torn bread.  Press the bread into the liquid so that all the bread is at least moistened.  Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes before baking.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until bread is browned and the liquid is no longer jiggly (though the bread should still look moist). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.  If desired, top with cinnamon sugar and fresh sliced bananas.

Store the bread pudding, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  You can briefly microwave it before serving, though it's just as delicious cold.

Vive la custard!

Succumb to the Pumpkin Frenzy

I tried to resist the temptation of pumpkin until October.  I really tried. Okay, I didn't try all that hard after a week of seeing amazing pumpkin recipes and having pumpkin-laced everything shoved in my face by stores. Pumpkin, I love you and welcome you back with open arms. We're going to have an intense relationship through at least February. 

So on what would have been my last day of pumpkin resistance, I'm sharing the ways I've given up to pumpkin before October 1st.

Pumpkin Spice Tea from The Republic of Tea

My favorite brand of tea struck hard and fast with this product.  Black tea with pumpkin flavor and warming spices.  Even though the pumpkin flavor is subtle (and I'm quite content with a strong punch of pumpkin), the spice flavor and warmth of tea make this a quick autumnal favorite.

Pumpkin Ale Tasting at The Party Source

We've been loving the various Burgers and Beers tasting events all summer long. It's an inexpensive and fun change from the normal weeknight routine.  We sit on the patio of The Party Source, tasting several beers and devouring a gourmet hamburger with an ever-changing set of hamburger accouterments.

Last night's B&B was Pumpkin Ales. I'd been looking forward to it for months, since I initially read over the schedule.  And it didn't disappoint in the slightest.  

Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road was served with orange flavored, vodka-infused whipped cream. My first exposure to the vodka-infused whipped cream...and not bad. And since my roommate won a can of the whipped cream, I'm looking forward to using it on waffles, crepes, and hot chocolate. Yes, please!  

St. Ambroise, from Canada, had previously been one of my favorite pumpkin ales, along with Buffalo Bill Brewery's.  They're both ales with a good amount of spice and a definite hint of pumpkin. But as I said before, I'd rather be walloped with pumpkin, so my new favorites are O'Fallon Brewery's pumpkin ale and Schlafly Brewery's pumpkin ale, both from Missouri.  

My newly crowned number one pumpkin ale?  Southern Tier's Pumking.  With a strong, definitive pumpkin taste and a lighter dose of spices, this is my favorite. The aftertaste is almost sweet and very mildly earthy and there aren't any molasses flavors.  Don't get me wrong, I love molasses and caramel notes in brews, but here pumpkin is king. (ha, see what I did there?)

I loved Pumking so much, I bought a growler of it. Delight in a jug, I say. Check out their website for more specific info on Pumpking . 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bake one of the six pumpkin recipes I've earmarked.  It's Brittany's Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Soon to be followed by chai-iced pumpkin cookies, homemade pumpkin spice lattes (I very much did a dance of joy when I saw this recipe. Real pumpkin in my coffee??? Yes!), sweet-and-savory pumpkin bites with sage, and pumpkin milkshakes.  Oh, so much pumpkin to eat, so little time!!!

What's your favorite pumpkin recipe?

Friday Cheer! Ginger Mojito & Ginger Margarita

There's something addictive about the spicy-sweet taste of ginger.  It works in brilliantly flavorful curries as well as richly dark and moist gingerbread.  I can happily chew on candied ginger as I can slurp down a bottle of Reed's Extra Strength Ginger Brew.  Ginger is a distinctive taste I just can't seem to enjoy enough.

Domaine de Canton is a ginger liquor produced in France.  It has the spicy-sweet taste of ginger I love, and a bottle design that's stunning.  Yes, I admit, it was the bottle that drew me in at first.  Then the thought of ginger in my cocktails.  The clincher was flipping through the miniature recipe booklet bound to the top of the bottle.  Yup, this one was coming home to meet the rest of my liquor closet cabinet.

Both the Ginger Mojito and Ginger Margarita from Domaine de Canton's recipe booklet were refreshing and marvelously out of the norm.  Give it a try if you're looking to mix up your usual drink. Cheers!


Ginger Mojito
From Domaine de Canton's recipe booklet
Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
2 oz. Domaine de Canton
1/2 oz. white rum
3 lime wedges
mint
Club soda or seltzer water, to taste

Preparation:
Muddle the lime wedges and mint in a glass, until the mint is lightly bruised (and not crushed). Add the Domaine de Canton, white rum, and club soda/seltzer water.

To prevent completely crushing the mint, I muddled my limes
before adding the mind and muddling a bit more.

If you're like me, you're frequently disappointed by margaritas in restaurants or purchased pre-mixed in a bottle.  Sour mix, especially overly-sweetened sour mix, just hurts my stomach and ruins my appetite for food.  This Ginger Margarita was light yet flavorful, perfect for a pre- or post-dinner drink.

Ginger Margarita
From Domaine de Canton's recipe booklet
Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
1 oz. Domaine de Canton
1 oz. silver 100% agave tequila
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass.

Happy Friday!!!

Smores Bars from A Periodic Table

Just hold up a minute here.  I agree it's fall.  The temperature here has dropped alarmingly, it's grey and rainy outside, I've worn pants (instead of shorts and skirts) to work most of the last two weeks...and I've already given in to siren song of pumpkin in everything I eat, smell or sit near.  We're all agreed. It's fall.

But are smores strictly and exclusively a summer food?  Am I allowed to make them outside of hot, humid days filled with sun and fun?

If you answered no, well...you're wrong.  Smores are an eternal and universal food. Food of the gods?  Maybe.  Excellent in PopTart form? Yes, though I say that with plenty of guilt.  Able to be made at any time of the year with whatever equipment is available to you? Yes - for proof, see my roommate and I make quick microwave smores. Yes, we're those kind of people. Quick is sometimes the most important thing, especially when your stomach is demanding satisfaction.

These Smores Bars are what you're looking for if you want a delicious way to enjoy smores year-round, without a bonfire.  They're a cinch to make and have every flavor you're craving in a smore...and a few extras (peanuts! sprinkles! a mix of chocolates!).  Plus they travel well, so maybe you can take them to the bonfire and make friends with the person who just burnt their last marshmallow to a crisp.

Chocolate, peanuts, sprinkles, and
marshmallows atop a graham
cracker crust. 

Smores Bars
from Shannon at A Periodic Table 
(adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

Get Shannon's recipe here.  She deserves all the credit for this magical and easy treat. Plus her blog is one of my all-around favorites, from writing to photography to recipes.

A crust of graham cracker crumbs, dry milk (shhh! It's
the secret ingredient that rocks your world), and butter
forms the base

A mixture of milk and dark chocolates offers all
the rich, creamy chocolate flavor you could possibly
want. Even if you didn't know you wanted it.

Stir in the goods! Marshmallows, extra-large nonpareils (go for
the extra-large. Their crunch and color is spectacular), and roasted
peanuts.

Put the chocolate + goods mixture atop the graham cracker
crust and chill.

Your patience will be rewarded.
And your smores craving will be met.