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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Blueberry Croissant Pudding

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If you have leftover croissants or you want to jazz them up, here is a simple, easy and really tasty treat that will satisfy your custard cravings. Most recipes recommend using bottled blueberry preserves but I prefer using fresh blueberries mixed with sugar for a little sweet and tart bite to contrast with the luscious pudding.  Whatever you choose to use, you will still end up with a yummy dish that’s good for brunch, dessert or a midnight snack! You can also add almonds or walnuts on top for that extra crunch.

Ingredients:

3 large croissants

3 large eggs

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup water

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 cups blueberries mixed with 1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9″ square baking dish (or a rectangular one) with non-stick cooking spray. Cut croissants in half and then into strips. Lay the bottom strips into the dish and sprinkle half of the blueberry mixture evenly on top. Place the remaining croissant strips on top of the first layer and the remaining blueberries.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, condensed milk, butter, water, cinnamon and vanilla until everything is all mixed. Pour the mixture on top and around the dish, pressing down with a spoon so that everything is submerged in the egg mixture. Let stand for at least 30 minutes so that the mixture seeps into the blueberries and croissant strips. Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Top with powdered sugar before serving.

Photo Courtesy of: Lilet Camara

Steamed Egg Custard

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Steamed egg custard or chawanmushi is a Japanese dish that is often served as an appetizer. It is eaten warm or at room temperature.

I like the smooth tofu like texture of the custard, while the meats and vegetables all go together and give off a variety of tastes that makes each bite extremely delicious.

 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

250g chicken breast diced

1 tablespoon sake

1 teaspoon soy sauce

8 fresh medium prawns, peeled and deveined

4-6 fresh shitake mushroom caps, sliced

1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

120g spinach, rinsed and stems removed

Finely grated lemon peel for garnish

For the dashi custard:

2 1/2 cup dashi stock

1 tablespoon sake

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

 

Combine the sake and soy sauce in a medium sized bowl. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for 10 minutes or up to an hour. Drain and set aside.

Next prepare the dashi custard by putting the eggs in a large bowl. Gently stir it using a pair of chopsticks or a fork. Make sure that bubbles do not form due to excessive stirring or beating.

Place the dashi stock, soy sauce and salt in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, but do not let it boil. Remove from heat and slowly pour the dashi mixture into the eggs while stirring gently until well combined. Let the egg and dashi mixture pass through a sieve to remove any lumps or solid parts.

Divide the prawns, chicken, carrots, spinach and mushrooms into 4 heatproof bowls. Pour the egg and dashi mixture into the bowls until it is three fourths full. Cover the bowls with foil.

Steam the bowls in a steamer or you may place a rack in a saucepan half filled with water. Keep it partially covered for 10-15 minutes or until set. Poke it with a knife to test doneness. It must come out clean. Remove the bowls from the steamer and garnish them with the lemon peel. Serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  bvalium

Just Pudding It Back To Basics

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Nothing says home grown cooking than bread pudding! I must say no matter where you are and how long the years have passed, we all are just softies for home baked bread pudding. I could never say no! Sometimes, I make it a point to have left over bread just so I have a good excuse to make some … even just for a nice sweet afternoon spent absolutely doing nothing!

You all know the basics of bread pudding, right? It’s just day old bread, milk, eggs and sugar mixed together and poured into a pan and baked. Anything else you want to add to it is all up to your creativity and what’s in your pantry. You can add raisins, nuts and other fruit of your choice.

Although it is typically a dessert, why limit yourself to that? Have it for breakfast! You may choose to serve bread pudding with rum sauce, whiskey sauce and caramel. It is just as heavenly with custard sauce or vanilla cream, and even chocolate.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or slather on some luscious whipped topping and you’ve got yourself a pretty fancy dessert without the real fuss.

Essentially, it’s going to back to basics … back to where it all matters …it’s what hits home and it always feels just as good as you always remember it. So just play around with this home grown recipe and use your favourite things to eat. You might just come up with a seriously genius creation. Here’s something for you to whip up this coming weekend maybe?

Apple Breakfast Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

12 slices day old bread
4 tbsp butter, melted
½ c raisins (optional)
1 apple, peeled, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon powder
4 eggs beaten
3 cups milk
¾ cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Mix chopped apples with brown sugar and set aside
  • Break 6 slices of bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle 2 tbsps melted butter or margarine  over bread.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour half of mixture over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
  • Spread over the apple and sugar mixture onto the bread layer and sprinkle with raisin if desired.
  • Break the remaining 6 slices of bread over the layer of apples and sugar, drizzle with the 2 tbsps of melted butter and pour the remaining half of the milk mixture. Press down with fork making sure the bread pieces get soaked in the milk.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.
  • Serve warm with custard sauce or go all out with vanilla ice cream.

Photo Credit: missmeng

Photo Credit: montage_ man

Photo Credit: jennycu

Velvety Chocolate Crème Brulee

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This dish takes very little time to prepare, but the results are outstanding if you leave them overnight to chill.

Creme Brulee

If you have a blowtorch, use it to caramelise the Sugar on top, failing that, use a very hot Grill, before leaving to set a little bit.

To Serve 4
500ml Double Cream
1 Vanilla Pod, split
6 Egg Yolks
120g Caster Sugar
100g Good Quality Plain Chocolate

1. Preheat an oven to 170C.
2. Begin to gently heat the Cream in a heavy-based saucepan, along with the Vanilla Pod.
3. Whisk the Egg Yolks and the Sugar together, then break the Chocolate into small pieces and add it into the Egg mixture.
4. When the Cream comes to the boil, pour it over the Egg and Chocolate mix, whisking it all the time so that the Eggs don’t become scrambled.
5. Pass the mixture through a sieve, then pour it into four or five ovenproof ramekins, then place in a baking tray. Fill the Baking tray halfway up with boiling water, then place in the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes – the time may vary, but that’s okay, each oven is different! You’ll be able to tell they’re done because they’ll be set on top, with a slight wobble.
6. Remove from the Oven, allow to cool then chill them in a refrigerator overnight.
7. When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle the tops with a small amount of Caster Sugar, then caramelise the tops with a Chefs Blowtorch or under a hot Grill. Leave to set for a couple of minutes so that it’s not going to burn your mouth.

Photo Courtesy of: avlxyz

Cherry Brulees

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Using Fresh Cherries will give a stronger, fresher flavour, however, it will mean that you’ll need stone them. Cherry Stoners are inexpensive, and saves a great deal of time whilst also damaging the Cherry very little – which will give a very good presentation as well.

Cherry Brulee

Try to use some of the brighter coloured Cherries for decoration.

To Serve 8
350g Fresh Cherries
1tbsp Kirsch
4 Egg Yolks
50g Caster Sugar
450ml Double Cream
125g Granulated Sugar

1. Stone the Cherries, reserving eight of them with stems for decoration. Pour the Kirsch over the rest of the Pitted Cherries.
2. Whisk the Egg Yolks with the Caster Sugar until they have thickened and are much lighter in colour. Pour the Cream in, stirring all the time. Place into a heavy-based saucepan, and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time to make sure it doesn’t boil. After around ten minutes, the Mixture should be similar in consistency to Double Cream.
3. Divide the Cherries amongst eight Ramekins or heatproof cups, then strain over the Custard mixture. Bake at 150C and cook for thirty to thirty five minutes, until very lightly set. Cool and refrigerate until firm.
4. Place the Granulated Sugar into a small, heavy based saucepan, and heat until the Sugar dissolves and turns a golden Caramel colour. Place a Pitted Cherry on top of each Ramekin, then pour over some of the dissolved Sugar, and chill for at least an hour, but no more than six hours.

Serve fresh from the refrigerator.

Photo Courtesy of: snowpea&bokchoi