White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding with Butter Cream Sauce

This recipe was totally my sister's idea. 100%.  Which means she is a genius.  This bread pudding is a totally best friends with this White Chocolate Pecan Bread.  In fact, if you really wanted to go over the top with this recipe, use the white chocolate pecan bread in it.  Double White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding.  I'm drooling.  Which is embarrassing, because I was already drooling before we doubled the white chocolate pecan-ness of this bread pudding.  I'm a hopeless case.  I accidentally "tasted" a whole corner of the pan when it came out of the oven.  Yep, it's that good.  You definitely want to use dry bread for this recipe.  How dry?  It can be "I accidentally left it on the counter for a week and now I have a loaf-size crouton" dry.  This simple bread pudding is so moist, and the pecans sitting on top get toasted during baking, adding to the flavor.  Top it off with the butter cream sauce (original recipe found here), and you have an amazing decadent breakfast or a delicious dessert.

White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding with Butter Cream Sauce

White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding:
6 cups dry bread cubes (I used french bread, White Chocolate Pecan Bread would be yum)
1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips, divided
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
3 cups warm milk
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Butter Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  

In the prepared baking dish, combine the dry bread cubes, 1 cup of the white chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup of the chopped pecans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Pour the milk mixture over the dry bread cubes in the baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread cubes to make sure they absorb the milk mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup pecans over the top of the bread pudding.

Bake the bread pudding for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the  center is cooked through.  Remove the bread pudding from the oven.

To make the butter cream sauce, in a small saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the sugar until combined.  Add the evaporated milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.

Serve the bread pudding warm with the warm sauce spooned over the top of each serving.  Makes about 12 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Breaded Pineapple

I found this recipe in an old bread machine cookbook ages ago when I was just beginning to find my way around the kitchen.  It was a super simple recipe that included things I loved, so it was right up my alley.  We loved it, and it quickly became an often repeated recipe in my kitchen.  Eventually this recipe made its way out of circulation, and I totally forgot about it for years, until last week. For some reason, this recipe popped into my head, and I knew I had to make it again, and soon!  Chunks of bread and pineapple are smothered in a buttery pineapple sauce, then baked to deliciousness!  This recipe is fast, simple, and a little bit addicting.  Note:  You can use whichever kind of bread you like the best.  I have used white and wheat, and this time I used a fruit and nut bread.

Breaded Pineapple

1 can (15 ounces) pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained and the juice reserved
3 cups cubed bread (about 4 thick slices) (homemade or storebought)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place the pineapple and bread chunks in the prepared baking dish and toss to combine.  Set aside.

Place the reserved pineapple juice in a measuring cup.  Add enough water to the pineapple juice to equal one cup.  If you already have 1 cup (or a bit more is okay too. I've had up to 1 1/4 cups of juice before and it is just fine) of juice, then do not add water.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in the pineapple juice, and add the butter.  Heat the pineapple juice mixture over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbling, and the butter has melted.  Pour the pineapple juice mixture evenly over the bread and pineapple in the pan.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Breaded Pineapple

We love pineapple at my house, so what better pineapple dessert than bread cubes and pineapple tossed together in a luscious buttery pineapple sauce?  This dish is delicious.  It reminds me a little bit of a bread pudding, but with no milk or eggs.  The pineapple is tart and sweet, and the sauce soaks into the bread to create a warm and gooey dish.


Breaded Pineapple


1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups (about 8 ounces) rustic white bread, cut into 1 inch cubes


Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish, set aside.


Drain the pineapple, and reserve the juice.  If necessary, add enough water to the pineapple juice to equal 1 cup.  In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch and sugar.  Add the pineapple juice and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and bubbly, and the butter is completely melted.


In the prepared baking dish, toss together the cubed bread and pineapple chunks.  Pour the pineapple sauce over the bread and pineapple.   Bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly.  Makes about 4 servings.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Mango Cardamom Bread Pudding

I have found myself in possession of a mango. What does one do with a single mango? Bread pudding, duh! Ok, so maybe it's not quite that obvious. I really wanted to cook something besides some sort of smoothie, sauce, or roast duck with the mango salsa, but really had no idea what could be made. So I did a little research and discovered quite a few recipes calling for mango that sounded absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, most of them called for other strange ingredients that I have neither heard of nor know where to find. But out came one recipe--this one here--from the masses that sounded divinely fabulous. So I made it.

After surveying my pantry and reading the recipe reviews, I did a little modifying. Rather than white bread I used Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat Bread. I also decreased the amount of cardamom so it wouldn't be too overpowering. That was a good choice. Because I am not really a fan of warm fruit, I wasn't fond of this when it first came out of the oven. It wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't my favorite. However. I stuck the rest in the fridge and gave it another try the next day...wonderful! The bread on top had a slight crunch while the rest of the dish was soft, dense, and full of flavor. Who knew that cardamom and mango would work so well together?

6 Slices Honey Whole Wheat Bread, torn into small pieces
2 Mangos, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 C White Sugar
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/4 C Milk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
3/4 tsp Cardamom
2 T Butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x11 baking dish.

2. Toss together the pieces of bread and mango, and place in the prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and cardamom. Pour over the bread. Dot with small pieces of butter.

3. Bake for 45-50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until slightly puffed and golden brown.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Maple Rhubarb Toasted Bread Pudding

Word on the street is that I am moving, and that means that I need to empty out my freezer.  I wasn't sure what to do with the rest of the rhubarb that I had, but knew that I didn't want to do a coffee cake or something ordinary.  I had never heard of rhubarb bread pudding before so it seemed like a good plan.  After whipping this up in (literally) 7-ish minutes, I popped it in the oven and something amazing came out.  Honestly?  It almost didn't make it to the photo.  I won't tell you what happened to the rest of it.

I don't like bread puddings that come out slightly dry.  I like a higher custard ratio to my bread to keep it moist.  The sourdough bread in here is incredible.  Maybe it sounds weird, but the sour of the bread with the tart of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the maple custard absolutely worked.  My not quite 2 year old hungry puppy scarfed it.  Yes, she scarfed rhubarb, which is a little disconcerting because rhubarb is not my favorite thing.  You wouldn't be able to tell by what is left in the pan, though, I kind of scarfed this dessert too.

Maple-Rhubarb Toasted Bread Pudding

4 slices good quality bread (I used homemade 7 grain sourdough)

1 cup chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen)

3/4 cup milk

3 Tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Demarara sugar to sprinkle over top (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325F.  Grease a 9 inch square baking dish.  Toast the bread slices, then stack them on top of each other and cut into cubes.  Place the toasted bread cubes and the rhubarb in the prepared baking dish and toss together gently.

Heat the milk just enough to melt the butter, and set aside.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs, maple syrup, sugar, and salt.  Whisk in the milk/butter mixture, and pour evenly over the bread mixture.  Press bread down gently to ensure it is soaked with the milk mixture.  Sprinkle the demarara sugar over the top, then bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy