Banana Pudding on Steriods

This was originally posted on September 2, 2013, but I am making it this afternoon, so I thought it might be nice to re-post.  This time I am making it with Vanilla Wafers instead of cake.  I use the least expensive cookies that I can find because those seem to be more porous and soak up the pudding.

D.

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

The weather is cold, especially in Texas and what says comfort food better than a bread pudding?    Bread pudding is a delicious way to use bread that would eventually be thrown away.   I used six small hamburger buns that I had previously frozen and three very disappointing pink lady apples.  Pink Lady apples are usually one of my favorites but these were picked too early and very tart, as in not sweet.  The combination of frozen bread and sad little apples turned into a wintry delight.  If you are using frozen bread, remember to thaw it completely before using.

I also used powdered milk to make this recipe.  I mixed the equivalent of a one quart packet of dry milk with 3 cups of water.  You can use 3 cups of milk, half and half, or  cream, if you wish.  I wanted more milk solids and less water than milk would offer and since I used butter, I thought that half and half or cream would be gilding the lily. 

3 small Apples, peeled, halved, cored and sliced
6 Tablespoons of Butter, divided
4 cups of torn Bread pieces
1 Tablespoon ground Cinnamon
3/4 cup of Sugar
1 1-quart packet of Dry Milk
3 cups of Water
4 eggs
Powered Sugar

In a large cast iron skillet or other oven proof skillet, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter.  Add apples and cook until apples start to turn brown.  Sprinkle with cinnamon; add 2 Tablespoons of butter and bread.  Using a spoon, stir to coat while butter melts.  Add sugar and last 2 Tablespoons of butter.  Stir to coat apples and bread evenly while the butter melts.  Remove from heat.

In a separate container, mix milk, water, and eggs.  Whisk until blended.  Pour over apples and bread in skillet.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  If you wait to heat the oven, this gives the bread time to soak up the milk and egg mixture.

Once the oven is at 375 degrees,  carefully place the skillet in the oven and cook 45 to 50 minutes, or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean.   Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Deloris

Tiramisu Bread Pudding

So I needed to bring something delicious for a pot luck Thanksgiving party and I did not want to go to the grocery store.  I know that sounds lazy and it is, so I have nothing else to say about that. Anyway, I tried all day to think about what I could make with the ingredients that I had at home.  This is what I finally decided on, Bread Pudding. But with a little something extra.  I hope you enjoy it, it really turned out yummy!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/4 cup of espresso
3 Tablespoons of Sugar
2 cups of cubed Sourdough Bread
2 Eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon of Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 cup of Brown Sugar, packed

In a small bowl, place bread cubes.  Mix together hot coffee and sugar. Pour over bread cubes and set aside.
Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and salt. Stir in brown sugar and then add bread cubes.  Stir all the mixture and pour into an 8" square baking dish.  Place dish in larger shallow pan on oven rack and pour hot water into larger dish, about 1 " deep.  This makes a water bath that helps the pudding cook more evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. 
Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Deloris

Homemade Banana Pudding (no, really)

Have you ever eaten pudding that is not from a box?  You do not find that many people make homemade pudding any longer.  It is easier to use "cook and serve" or "instant" pudding.  But honestly, it does not take that much extra time to make real pudding.  The trick is to temper the eggs before adding them into the pudding and then do not overcook the pudding. It is a  little tricky, but it only takes a few times to learn how to do this. And the reward is worth the time and learning curve.

When I was a kid, we had dairy cattle and chickens, so in the summer when there were excesses of both milk and eggs, and my mom had frozen enough butter to last for months, she would make me vanilla pudding every few days.  Sometimes I would freeze it in the old style tupperware popsicle molds and have little pudding ice creams.  I do love real pudding.

This recipe is uses vanilla pudding.  Most people use instant banana flavored pudding to make banana pudding, but when you finish assembling this, you will need to refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and the real bananas flavor the pudding.  I can assure you that you will wish had not wasted your time with a box pudding, ever.

1 recipe of  Vanilla Pudding, below
4-6 Bananas, peeled and sliced
1 package of Vanilla Wafers

for the Vanilla Pudding
3/4 Cup of Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups of Milk
1 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons of Butter
1 teaspoon of Vanilla

In a saucepan, blend sugar, cornstarch, and salt, add milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.  Continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
Temper the egg by stirring in tiny amounts of the hot mixture into the beaten egg. ( I end up using about 1/2 of the hot mixture but some people think that is a bit much.  I do not like the eggs to get grainy) Add  egg mixture to the rest of the mixture and contine cooking and stirring 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

To assemble, prior to making the pudding, I have placed a layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom of a serving bowl and then topped with 1/3 of the banana slices. Pour 1/2 of the pudding over the banana slices and add another layer of vanilla wafers and then 1/3 of the banana slices.  Pour the other half of the pudding over banana slices. Finish with the last of the banana slices and then arrange the vanilla wafers on top.  Cover and Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  Put a lock on the refrigerator door or someone will help themselves. Seriously. Makes 1 to 8 servings depending on whether you were able to keep the key to the lock for the refrigerator hidden.

Enjoy!

Deloris