Tuesday, August 21, 2012

A Rich Bread Pudding -- with chocolate and some liqueuer



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August is a confusing month.

It is still summer but there is a faint hint of Fall in the air. You can feel that invisible tug in your heart, the one that whispers about colder days and bare trees.



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When the alarm rings 5:30 in the morning, it is now dark outside and the dull yellow of the street lights seem kind of tired waiting for the sun to rise.The early sunrise and eager chirping of the birds are missing.I shush the alarm and snuggle into the quilted comforter.

Early morning when I juggle a coffee mug, a juice jar and umpteen bags, trying my best to slide into my car with minimum drama, I see fine drops of  water droplets on the windshield. My heart skips a bit and the juice spills over.

The kids still play outside and draw on the sidewalk or ride their bike but the sun seems to plunge down early and by 8 in the evening big blobs of darkness has fallen around us. It is night, already, we ask ? Even a few days back we went for twilight icecream at 8:30.

You feel the days getting shorter. And yet you feel happy, lucky to cherish the warmth and the luxury of  the remaining summer days.



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August is also a special month for us, a year older,  a year together,  lessons learned, tears forgotten. For her birthday in August, LS did not want a party this year. Instead she wanted to spend it in a park and if it is an amusement park with rides that soar high she did not even want a present. So off we went to one such park that also had a chocolate factory next door, a 3 hour drive away to spend 3 days riding high and having fun. I mean I didn't. I mean I had fun but thank you no rides for me. LS had too much fun riding everything permissible with BS and BS's best friend who had come along with us. It was much fun to see the three girls together and though I spent 99% of the time just watching, I must say I had a good time.



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Back home we are now getting ready for the new school year. Folders, Binders, notebooks, sharpened pencils are being bought. School is still 3 weeks away but I guess we are kind of ready for it. As much as we will miss summer, there are lot of things to look forward to.


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And to pep up the feeling there can be nothing better than a warm oven and a home that smells of sweet vanilla and spicy cinnamon. So the husband man baked a bread pudding, a rich, delicious affair. The trusted recipe was from T, the one of the Tiramisu fame.

This bread pudding was exotic, at least it was very different from the bread pudding my Ma used to make very often. This one was rich, dense, gooey with all that chocolate and soft soaking in a sauce made with Irish Cream liqueur. It was  PURE BLISS and I don't even like throwing my uppercases around.

If you are like me and lamenting the loss of summer, you should totally make this bread pudding. It will make you so happy that you will start craving snow and thick fleece blankets. Maybe it is the liqueur doing the talking but you will never know unless you crank up the oven and tear up that bread.

The recipe here is in T's exact words, so the "I" is actually "T". She wrote it in first person. Get it ?

The husband-man followed the recipe like a Bible.Okay, that might not amount to much. What I want to say is,He followed the recipe exactly as written.And you better do that too.

Bread pudding

    14 cups 3/4-inch cubes white bread with crust (about 12 ounces) - apparently French bread would have worked better, but I used just plain store bought white bread
    6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
    4 ounces imported white chocolate, chopped
    4 large eggs
    1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    pinch of cinnamon powder
    2 cups whipping cream
    Nonstick vegetable oil spray



For bread pudding:
Combine bread, chocolate, and white chocolate in large bowl; toss to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in another large bowl to blend. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups cream. Add cream mixture to bread mixture; stir to combine. Let stand 30 minutes. (Here it should have stood about an hour, or an hour plus, but I was running short on time!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer bread mixture to prepared dish, spreading evenly. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup cream. (I didn't do this, I felt it was sweet enough ->) Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake pudding until edges are golden and custard is set in center, about 1 hour. Cool pudding slightly, serve warm.


The sauce


    1/2 cup whipping cream
    6 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
    1/4 cup sugar (I didn't add this, was sweet enough already!)
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

       

Since I felt my bread pudding could do with a little more moisture, I didn’t thicken the sauce to drizzle consistency, rather kept it creamy and poured it in. Also I felt the bread pudding was sweet enough, so didn't add the sugar.

Mmmmm...just writing this is driving me into a tizzy... a tizzy.. is there a word like that ? I cannot wait to eat this again. Soon


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40 comments:

  1. always a comfort, although i didn't really grow up eating this or anything. maybe it's just the bread.

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    Replies
    1. The bread pudding I grew up on was more traditional, no chocolate or liqueur. This one is much more fancy

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  2. That bread pudding does sound DIVINE (and yes the upper case seems appropriate even though I haven't tried it yet). Just reading the ingredient list made me swoon. And did I spot the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (one of my all time favorite books) along with your cup of tea and bread pudding. Oh I am weak in the knees. If I could I would print out that pic and put it on my inspiration board. Right now I've got a 5 month old and 2 yo - the tea is gulped down and forget the reading!!
    Prashanti

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I took it out from the library, just started on it, with even a 8 and a 4 I don't know when I can finish it :-D
      But you know what our time in the sun will come. I can tell you, it will get only better and you will definitely get more bits of time maybe not a big chunk but bits here and there. Hang on.

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  3. This sounds delicious! Thanks for the recipe. Nice pictures too. :)

    Simi

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    1. Thank you, you should try this if you like anything bread.

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  4. Wonderful! The post and the recipe. I think if I make this, I will skip the cinnamon powder. I love vanilla and chocolate, no interference plz :)

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    1. Actually cinnamon was not there in the original recipe :-)

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  5. Yes, tizzy exists. I love bread pudding, but mine's a very tame affair. No Irish Cream and all. Happy birthday to LS!

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    1. Tizzy-dizzy... Yeah my Mom also makes one without the jing-bang but I am telling you that Irish Cream is a sweet touch

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  6. Looks delicious and very decadent! This one's a must try :) Happy Birthday wishes to lil sis; we are off to the amusement park this Saturday, just 4 adults!

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  7. ema amar ager comment ta kothay gelo?

    LS ke jonmodiner anek shubhechchha janai. apnar August-er borNona poRe notun kore maastar preme poRe gelam Bong Mom.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jaah, amar mone ki rokom ekta dukkhu dukkhu hoche

      Delete
  8. Happy, happy LS! The pudding is sooo yum!! I'm sure my lil one will love it! And why must you use imported white chocolate? Imported from where?

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    1. Exact same question I had. Why imported ? But then D did his own grocery shopping for the pudding and i never asked. I know he got it from the regular stores so have to clarify that.

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    2. Imported since it requires fine chocolate, which is not an American strong point :-) Like good bread! (and great cheese!)

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    3. Ok, I think this is straight from the horse's mouth, the one which showed us what a fine bread pudding should be ;-)
      J, you are good, don't need imported for you :-D

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    4. Thank you San and Tnm! I was actually wondering if I should sneak in some of my daughter's imported-from-US white chocolate!! That would be blasphemy! :)

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  9. Lipsmacking good bread pudding. Me too prepared in the same way, but never adding chocolate to it. August mas ta amar kache khub e important. Tomar description pore aro bhalo laglo. Bookmarked this recipe dear.

    If you get time, pls visit,
    http://sanolisrecipies.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sanoli. Bhalo lage bolo besh, chocolate dile arektu bhalo :-D

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  10. Definetly a rich pudding! love the perfect slices!!

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  11. Bread pudding is my comfort food. As a fussy eater all through my childhood, bread pudding was the only thing I approved off. This is a much fancier version of it.I must try.

    A very Happy Birthday to LS!In my part of the world the best two months of summer are September and October. Come the end of October I start feeling the sane way. To top it the daylight adjustment just kills.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember yours, my Mom did it same, this one is indeed a fancier version of what I grew up with

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  12. A boozy bread pudding sounds like just the thing to welcome Fall. We're ready for Fall here after the most sweltering summer ever. Good luck to your girls for the new school year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Boozy Bread Pudding" -- loved that name. that is how I will serve it next

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  13. After experiencing one summer in India after returning to India, I have almost forgotten the summer craving of expats! :-p Here Monsoon is almost over and another shot of hot days will peek a boo before the great Indian autumn of cotton wool clouds, fresh air , blue sky, siuli phool, and festivals of ten handed goddess, of black goddess of goddess of money and so on and on! loved reading your blog as always!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If not summer there are other cravings, right ? Now you make me jealous of Hemanto

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  14. Someone is enjoying summer days to the fullest :-) Watching kids playing and doing simple things are the greatest way to unwind isn't it? Bread pudding looks exotic with the syrup..

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    Replies
    1. Yeah it was a fun summer though we did not take any long trip. Next week, school starts

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  15. The post feels so fresh, as if I am there when the juice spills over catching a glimpse of water droplets on your car windshield :-)or when LS and BS enjoy bike rides and write on side-walks..US e holidays ta besh onek samay er jonne hoye ..amader ekhane kom samay'er jonno hoye ..tao dekhte-2 sesh hotey chollo ..enjoy summer days and yes bread pudding looks delicious (upper case says it all :-)..hugs

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  16. Your alarm rings at 5:30am! I force myself out at 7 and it is bright day waiting. The rain though has cooled the days and one can think of fall if you stretch it a bit.
    Many congratulations on the anniversary and the birthdays! Enjoy the tea and delicious pudding. I'd make it but I have no "imported white chocolate!"

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    1. Thanks, "imported" as in from outside US, so works for you ;-)

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  17. Can't wait to try it:-P. Do we drizzle the cream sauce on top, to serve or before baking? Also, how do we thicken the sauce if we need to - by cooking on stove top or whisking?

    Thanks.

    Anindita

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    Replies
    1. Anindita, Drizzle it while the pudding is warm. You can also save some to pour on while serving. No need to thicken

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  18. Dear Sandeepa
    Anek din par tomar blog-e eshe , lekha Po-De..daNt-er bytha bhule gelam for some time!! Ki darun likhechho , autumn -er agomoni-r opor!
    Dekhi ei bread pudding ta banate pari kina jabar ag-e..amar kachhe Irsh cream liqueur nei..sudhu Drambuie, Cointreau ar Tea maria achhe , otar ekta dile cholbe to?
    Bhalo theko
    Ushnishda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amar liqeur er upor temon gyaan nei, cointreau ta diye sauce ta hote pare mone hoy, jiggesh kore confirm korbo tomay

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  19. Ami Bhebe dekhlam , Irish cream Liqueur -ee di-te ho-be ..others will be bit out of place

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