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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

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

Raspberry Tiramisu

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Instead of layers of Chocolate, the bright layers of berries in this dish are very light (light enough for a summer treat) and fruity to go with many dishes as a dessert.

Raspberry Tiramisu

Try experimenting with different soft fruit in place of the Peaches and Raspberries – you can use a whole range instead, just to keep the meal fresh and interesting.

To serve 6
5 Trifle Sponges
2tbsp Raspberry Jam
6tbsp Sweet Sherry or Marsala
213g Can of Peaches in Juice
225g Fresh Raspberries
250g Mascarpone
500g Custard, cold
300ml Double Cream
Dark Chocolate, shaved or grated

1. Split the Sponges, and fill with the Jam. Cut each into three wedges, and place into a large dish. Mix the Sherry (or Marsala) with four tablespoons of the Peach Juice, then spoon over the Sponge and leave to soak for fifteen minutes.
2. Put the Peaches and most of the Raspberries into a serving dish, then place the Sponges on top.
3. Mix the Mascarpone in with the Custard until creamy and smooth, then spoon over the top of the Sponge and level the top.
4. Whip the Cream, then spread on top. Decorate with the Chocolate Shavings and remaining Raspberries, before chilling until ready to serve.

Photo Courtesy of: stevendepolo

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Whisky Sauce

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A classic pudding, with a luxuriously decadent twist – the addition of the Whisky sauce makes this a very rich treat.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Make sure you pick a Scottish Whisky, as opposed to an Irish Whiskey – the difference is in the flavours and tastes that are wide and noticeable – especially when adding the other ingredients.

To Serve 6
150g Pitted Dates, chopped
225ml Boiling Water
100g Butter
150g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
200g Self Raising Flour, sifted
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda, sifted
3tbsp Cold Water
125g Caster Sugar
5tbsp Whisky
125ml Double Cream

1. Heat an oven to 180c, and line a large tray with baking paper.
2. Soak the Dates in the Boiling Water. Cream the Butter and Soft Dark Brown Sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Then add the Large Eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth each time.
3. Start to slowly add the Sifted Flour to the mixture, along with the Bicarbonate of Soda. Mix in, and then drain the Dates over a bowl to catch the liquid, and lightly blend them in a food processor. Add the processed Dates back to the Water, then add the mixture into the batter.
4. Pour into the baking tray, and bake for thirty to thirty five minutes, or until a skewer can be pressed through and come out clean. Leave to cool.
5. For the Whisky Sauce, add the Cold Water to a pan along with the Caster Sugar, and bring to the boil for about five minutes, until it’s caramelised evenly, then remove from the heat, and add the Double Cream and Whisky.

Photo Courtesy of: Ella Mullins

Christmas Pudding

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It’s Christmas! So what better way to get in the mood than by making a traditional Christmas pudding, it’s best to start making one now, as needs to be refrigerated for anything from two to eight weeks. This recipe has no nuts in as well, but please check on the packaging for anything that you buy (especially for the dried fruit), to make sure regarding allergies.

Traditional Lit Christmas Pudding

To Serve 4
200g Currants
200g Raisins
200g Sultanas
150ml Sweet Cherry
175g Butter
175g Brown Sugar
4 Beaten Eggs
150g Self Raising Flour
100g Breadcrumbs
50g Blanched Almonds, chopped
Juice of 1 Orange
Grated Rind of ½ Orange
Grated Rind of ½ Lemon
½ Tsp Ground Mixed Spice

1.       In a large glass bowl, put the Currants, Raisins and Sultanas, and pour the Sherry over the top. Leave to set for at least two hours – more if you can help it.
2.       Mix the Butter and Sugar in a bowl, beat the Eggs into the mix and fold in the Flour.
3.       Stir in the Fruit and Sherry mix, as well as the Breadcrumbs, Almonds, Orange Juice, Rinds and Mixed Spice.
4.       Grease a basin and press it in, leaving a gap around an inch at the top. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper about one and a half inches wider than the top of the basin. Secure with string, and cover with two layers of foil.  Place the basin into a pan of boiling water, which reaches two thirds of the way up the basin, and simmer for six hours, topping up with water when needed.
5.       Remove from the pan, and leave to cool. Change the greaseproof paper and foil, and leave in the fridge for two to eight weeks. Before serving, steam for two hours (as before – in a pan of boiling water).

To serve, you can light it, making sure you blow it out before serving.

Photo Courtesy of: Anina2007

Christmas Pudding Cakes

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Christmas Pudding cakeFruit and Gluten Free, these chocolate puddings are a great alternative to the more traditional mince pies as a treat.

They look just like Traditional Christmas puddings, and can be decorated in a variety of ways – such as using left over Icing Sugar to create Holly and Berries, or Iced fruits.

To Make 6

75g Dark Chocolate (minimum 70% Cocoa Solids)

50g Unsalted Butter

75g Ground Almonds

3 large Eggs, separated

40g Caster Sugar

130g Icing Sugar

3 or 4 tsp Water

Red and Green Food Colouring

1.       Heat the oven to 180 C or Gas Mark 4, and lightly grease six pudding tins or rounded bottom ramekins, and line with baking paper.

2.       Break the Chocolate into pieces, and put into a large bowl, with the butter.

3.       Put the bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl or the Chocolate and butter mix will burn. Stirring occasionally, wait until the chocolate has melted, and then remove from the heat, leaving to cool for five minutes.

4.       Stir the Ground Almonds in, before adding the Egg yolks. Beat well to combine.

5.       Whisk the Egg whites until they form stiff peaks, whilst adding the Caster Sugar, one teaspoon at a time. Fold a third of the Egg whites into the Chocolate mix, to soften it.

6.       Fold the rest of the Egg whites into the Chocolate mix, before dividing equally into the six baking tins.

7.       Bake for twenty minutes, before removing from the heat to cool on a wire rack. Mix the Icing sugar with the water, and drizzle most over the top (to look like snow), and mix some red into a small amount of the left-over sugar, and green into another amount. Cut into Holly and Berry shapes, and decorate with these

Photo Courtesy of F0t0Synth

Summer Fruit Charlotte

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Raspberries, Blackberries and BlueberriesThis dish takes four hours for it to set, so make sure you prepare it well in advance – but it is well worth the wait.

The soft sponge fingers with the soft creamy yoghurt and fresh fruit inside make such a beautiful change to some other desserts, especially since it’s so light!

To Serve 8

100g Caster Sugar

300g Strawberries

250g Raspberries

1 pack of Sponge Fingers

2 sheets of Gelatine

500g 0% Fat Greek Yogurt

½tsp Vanilla Extract

1.       Place 75g of the Sugar in a small pan with 100ml of water. Heat gently, and stir until the Sugar has dissolved.

2.       Slice 250g of the Strawberries, and add these as well as 175g of the Raspberries to the water, and mash lightly.

3.       Take off the heat, and cool for fifteen minutes. Strain into a shallow dish, keeping the fruit to one side.

4.       Dip the Sponge Fingers into the Sugar water one at a time, and line the base of a one litre pudding basin, cutting them to fit.

5.       In a different pan, soak the Gelatine sheets in four tablespoons of cold water until they are soft (it should take around five minutes). Heat the pan up gently until melted.

6.       Place the Yogurt in a bowl with the Vanilla Extract and the remaining 25g of Sugar. Beat in the melted Gelatine. Place half into the Sponge-lined basin, add the fruit then cover with the rest of the Yogurt mix and any of the remaining Sponges.

7.       Drizzle any remaining Syrup around the edge of the basin, and then place in the fridge to chill for at least four hours until set.

8.       To serve, place a plate across the top of the basin, and turn upside down, then top with the extra berries.

Photo Courtesy of: Renee Silverman

Rhubarb Crumble

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A Classic British dessert. Serve fresh out of the oven, with a large portion of Vanilla Ice cream, or swimming in a pool of Custard. The crisp, crunchy crumble on top is a delight when cooked just right – a heavenly treat for anyone.

The tartness of the Rhubarb, coupled with the sweet Ice cream, coupled with the range of textures, this dessert will become a firm favourite once you’ve tried it, and you can slightly adjust the quantities – for a sharper taste, add less sugar, and for a sweeter one, simply increase the amount of sugar included.

To serve 4

300g Flour

150g Demerara Sugar

250ml Orange Juice

60g White Sugar

500g Rhubarb

1.       In a bowl, rub the Flour and Demerara Sugar together, until they begin to look like Breadcrumbs.

2.       In a pan, mix 250ml of Orange Juice with the White Sugar and heat, but do not boil.

3.       Add the Rhubarb to the pan, and poach until slightly soft. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/ Gas Mark 4

4.       Strain the Rhubarb off, keeping five or six tablespoonfuls of the poaching mixture.

5.       Lay the Rhubarb in either a large ovenproof dish, or, alternatively into 4 smaller individual dishes. Pour one tablespoonful over each dish, or all into the one large dish.

6.       Top with the crumble mixture, and put in the oven for around thirty or forty minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling slightly around the edges

7.       Serve with a ball of Ice Cream.

Photo Courtesy of: SecretLondon123

Bread and Butter Pudding

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The first pudding I ever learnt to cook, and still my favourite by a long shot!
Bread and Butter Pudding: Courtesy of david.nikonvscanon
To serve 4 to 6 (or just me!)

-          85g softened butter
-          6 slices of thick bread (either white or whole-wheat – from personal experience, don’t use the ones with seeds in!)
-          55g mixed fruit (sultanas, currants and raisins)
-          25g candied peel
-          3 large eggs
-          300ml milk
-          150ml double cream
-          55g caster sugar
-          Whole nutmeg (for grating)
-          1 tbsp Demerara sugar
-          Cream (to serve)

1.       Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ Gas Mark 4

2.       Use some of the butter to grease a baking tray and the slices of bread. Cut the bread into slices and arrange with an overlap

3.       Mix the eggs, milk, cream and sugar well, adding in the fruit at the end, and pour over the bread. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Grate the nutmeg over the top, and sprinkle the Demerara Sugar to taste.

4.       Cover most of the fruit with the bread to make sure it doesn’t burn. Bake at the top of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until just set and golden brown

5.       Remove from the oven, serve warm with a little pouring cream