JBug's Kitchen Antics

Not Your Mama's Banana Pudding

What do you make for a guy that's been living off hiking food for 4 days? Anything with calories, lots and lots of calories!

The Big Guy made it back from his Grand Canyon adventure tanned, tired and hungry so other than greeting him at the door with a monster sized martini, I cooked up a whole mess a' beef and mashed potatoes.

We've had the beef before - it's one of my Big Guy's favorites, so I'll send you to the previous version to check it out in all it's beefy bacon beerie filled glory, but here's a picture of the first serving of several. Along with a monster sized salad, my alter ego was happy happy.

For dessert, I had every intention of whipping up a rhubarb strawberry pie but then I had an epiphany of sorts and realized after sweating buckets and buckets, my man likely needed to have his potassium levels re-adjusted. What better excuse to make this fabulous dessert from Paula Deen. 

Loaded with bananas and tons and tons of calories, I changed it up by using some of the leftover lady fingers from Big Guy's birthday tiramisu as well as some vanilla wafers in my favorite round cake pan with a removable bottom instead of putting the whole thing in a 9 by 13 pan. It's a lot prettier that way! Oh I added rum too - a lot of it because I figured Big Guy'd need a little fortifying if you know what I mean. Check out Paula's version by hitting the link here to Food Network and see my version below. 

This is one extremely rich and fabulous calorie laden glory and while it was delicious last night, it's gonna' be stellar today or even tomorrow because it's the kind of thing that just gets better and better with time.  That's providing you ignore the siren call coming from the refrigerator and give it time to ruminate. Truthfully, it's kind of hard to resist. 

JBug’s Version of Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding (adapted from Paula Deen, Foodnetwork.com)

1 package ladyfingers

Approximately 10 to 15 vanilla wafers

1/2 cup white rum

3 large bananas

1-3/4 cups milk

1 – 5 ounce box instant vanilla pudding

1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1  small container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dip flat side of ladyfingers into rum for approximately 1 second each and line outside of  8 inch round cake pan with removable bottom. Line bottom with vanilla wafer cookies and sprinkle them with rum.

Beat together milk and vanilla pudding mix.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and condensed milk together until smooth. Mix pudding into cream cheese mixture and beat until well combined. Fold in whipped topping.

Place one third of cream mixture on top of vanilla wafers. Add banana slices and top with vanilla wafers. Sprinkle vanilla wafers with rum. Repeat layers ending with cream mixture – fold any remaining rum into cream mixture for the top of the cake. Sprinkle top with vanilla wafer crumbs. Refrigerate for minimum 5 hours before serving.  

A year ago - Orange Soy Glazed Ribs 

Two year's ago - Roast Chicken with Pancetta

Tiramisu

I truly believe Tiramisu is one of the better desserts (as if there are any bad ones), so I wasn't complaining when Big Guy asked for one instead of his usual birthday pie. Who doesn't enjoy the creamy, boozy, coffee flavored combination in this fabulous Italian dessert?

There's certainly a lot of ways of making a tiramisu, but one thing they all have in common are Italian ladyfingers known as Savoiardi so I'm thinking when we spotted a big display of them at Sprouts last weekend, it might have been the reason for Big Guy's choice. 

This particular version makes use of egg yolks whipped to a lemon colored frothy frenzy along with a fairly small amount of sugar as well as mascarpone and cream cheese. I know a lot of you worry about eating raw eggs because of the threat of samlonella but if you're careful how you handle them including picking the the freshest cleanest highest quality eggs you can find, there shouldn't be a problem. Just remember - throw any cracked or broken eggs out, don't leave the finished cake out of the refrigerator too long and warn anyone with a compromised immune system they  shouldn't be eating it. I figure with the amount of liquor in it, you won't be serving it to children so we don't have to go there. Right?

Incidentally, as you can see tiramisu doesn't have to be relegated to a 9 x 12 pan or made in a trifle bowl. It can be a beautiful cake and stands up perfectly well to being made in a cake pan with a removable bottom or springform pan. As well, you know I'm pretty anal about telling you all the sources of my recipes, but this time I have to admit I'm stumped because it's a compilation of the best of many versions I've made over the years and hand written in the back of one of my oldest cookbooks.

I've always loved it because it's not too sweet, definitely boozy and has just the right hint of coffee/chocolate flavors, at least in my opinion. We should know because we finished the darn thing yesterday and if anything, it gets better with time. What can I say...we're gluttons for the good stuff. 

Tiramisu from JBug’s Kitchen

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

8 ounces mascarpone

8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large package ladyfingers, approximately 30

3 tablespoons extra dark cocoa powder

3 teaspoons Espresso powder

1/2 cup hot water

1/3 cup dark rum

 

2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks (optional)

Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings as garnish

In a small bowl, mix espresso powder with hot water, stirring until granules are dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Add rum and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and light lemon in color – about 5 minutes. Mix in mascarpone, cream cheese, heavy cream and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.

One at a time, quickly dip both sides of ladyfingers into coffee/rum mixture and arrange on bottom of a spring form pan or cake pan with removable bottom. I used an 8 inch cake pan with 2.5 inch sides and a removable bottom. For outside of pan, cut off bottom tip of ladyfingers and dip flat side only of ladyfingers. Stand them up around the pan, with the flat side facing inward. Pour half the filling over the bottom layer of ladyfingers, spreading evenly in pan. Place cocoa powder into small mesh sieve and tap to sprinkle cocoa evenly on top of filling. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, dipping both sides quickly into coffee/run mixture. Finish with remaining filling, spreading evenly to cover ladyfinger layer. Sprinkle with remaining cocoa powder. Cover well and refrigerate for a minimum 8 hours, or preferably overnight.

To serve, remove tiramisu from cake pan and place onto serving plate. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly.

A year ago - Chocolate Banana Cake 

Two year's ago - Short Ribs Provencal

Burgundy Mushrooms, Prime and Chocolate

What do you make for dinner for a guy who darn near worships the rib eye of a bovine? Why have some prime along with burgundy braised mushrooms and a blue cheese butter, bring out the candles, showcase the beautiful roses he brought ya' and say happy day my Valentine.

Pioneer Woman cooked up yummy looking mushrooms on her show at Christmas and I realized I'd been looking at a version of them in my favorite Idaho a la CArte cookbook for eons. It seemed like a great idea to put 'em on the stove to brew yesterday particularly since we had a storm move through that brought freezing temperatures and even some snow of all things.

I have to admit these beauties smell blissful when they're cooking so be forewarned. Picture a bubbling cauldron full of butter and burgundy seasoned with worcestershire sauce, dill seeds, garlic, pepper and a couple of Knorr beef cubes all loaded up with pounds of mushrooms and simmering for a total of 9 hours - well you can just imagine the aroma from that! Then serve up the delicious flavorful little sponges on a gargantuan sized rib eye steak the Big Guy cooked himself to a perfect blue rare then topped with a compound butter made of blue cheese and coarse ground black pepper ...the old taste buds were humming, believe me!  

Add chocolate and we had the perfect romantic Valentine's dinner right here at home without having to deal with hoards of people, grumpy waiters and mediocre food. Enough bragging you say! Hey, I'm not done yet. Now, about the chocolate! 

If you've never tried a Chocolate Bread Pudding before you'd best put this one on your list PDQ because it is absolutely heavenly. I used the recipe from the King Arthur Flour website but changed it up a notch by using some chopped up dark chocolate instead of semi sweet chips as well as some Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder instead the regular kind. I also added cinnamon for a little Mexican twist and extra vanilla because I make my own and there's nothing like it - all this and cubed up slices of Texas toast with the crusts removed, a little milk, some eggs and time were the only other requirements.

The result - rich, creamy, oozey chocolaty incredibly sumptuous custardy bread pudding that honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd be hard pressed to say there was even bread in it. Unbelievable. 

Gold Rush Burgundy Mushrooms (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte cookbook)

I cut the original recipe in half because 4 pounds of mushrooms seemed a little excessive for just 2 people so feel free to double this if you’re feeding a crowd.

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups good red wine, preferably burgundy

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dill seeds

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup boiling water

1-1/2 cubes beef bouillon cubes (I used Knorr)

2 pounds medium to large button mushrooms, well washed and dried

Place butter, wine, Worcestershire sauce, spices, water and bouillon cubes into a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, lower heat, cover and simmer over very low heat for 5 hours. Remove cover and simmer for 4 hours longer or until liquid barely covers mushrooms. Serves 4 to 6.

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with a Mexican Twist (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from King Arthur Flour)

5 slices Texas Toast, crusts removed

3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup dark cocoa (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)

1-1/2 cups whole milk, divided

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Whipped cream for garnish

Butter 4 -  8 ounce ramekins. Cut bread into half inch cubes and divide evenly among ramekins. Sprinkle ramekins with half of the chopped dark chocolate. Set aside. Place remaining chopped chocolate, sugar, and cocoa into a small sauce pan and whisk together to combine. Whisk in 3/4 cup of milk and place pot over low heat. Heat, whisking constantly until mixture chocolate is melted and mixture thickens. Remove from heat a cool slightly.

Meanwhile in another bowl beat together eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and remaining 3/4 cup milk. Slowly whisk in chocolate mixture. Pour mixture over bread cubes and chocolate pieces in ramekins, dividing liquid evenly between the ramekins. Place ramekins into a large pan with 2 inch sides and allow to sit at room temperature for a minimum 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325. Pour boiling water into pan to a level half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted into center of ramekin comes out clean. Puddings will be slightly “jiggly”. Remove ramekins to a wire rack and cool. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Rack of Lamb with Marionberry Hazelnut Crust 

Two year's ago - Beef Wellington

Pudding Chomeur is a Maple Syrup Lovers Delight

The English translation for this French Canadian classic is actually "poor man's pudding" and believe me, it is the ultimate in maple goodness and there's nuthin' poor about it either.

Normally tooth shatteringly sweet, I was inspired to make this less sweet and more cakey version when I saw it featured in House & Home Magazine. My sister gifted me with a subscription for this fabulous Canadian magazine many moons ago and not only is it chock a block full of great decorating ideas, it always features recipes guaranteed to take me back to my Canadian roots and make me homesick too.

Loaded with a bunch of good stuff including butter, sugar, cream and of course maple syrup, similar to some of the other classic old fashioned puddings on this site the cake rises to the top and the bottom of the ramekin becomes a puddle of gooey sweet syrupy goodness. Of course I couldn't leave it alone and took the liberty of including a couple of pears too, just to add another je ne sais quoi, but you could certainly make it without and it would be fabulous.

It's great in it's naked state but I have to tell you it is over the top served warm with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream - I just didn't happen to have any hanging around.  By the way, no substitutions for the maple syrup you hear? You've got to use the real thing in this pudding so leave the Mrs. Butterworth's to your morning pancakes and indulge in some real Nature's joy juice.

Oh and one more thing, don't forget to place the ramekins on a foil lined sheet pan because they do bubble over when they're cooking and you don't want a sugar fire in the bottom of your oven, now do you?

Pudding Chomeur aka Poor Man’s Pudding (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from House & Home Magazine)

3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup real maple syrup

1 cup whipping cream

Pinch of kosher salt

2 pears, peeled cored and sliced (optional)

In bowl of electric mixer, combine butter and sugars and blend until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, beating very well. Add flour and baking powder and mix just until incorporated. Do not over mix. Dough will be very thick and almost pastry like. Cover bowl and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan combine syrup and cream (use a large pan because this will boil up and could bubble over if you don’t use a big enough pot). Bring syrup and cream to a boil stirring constantly. As soon as it reaches the boiling point, remove from heat and stir in salt. Cool and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place 6 oven proof ramekins onto pan. Spray ramekins with cooking spray, and then spoon a few tablespoons of maple/cream mixture into bottom of each ramekin. Arrange sliced pears onto bottom of ramekins. Split refrigerated dough evenly between the ramekins, loosely packing the dough on top of the pears. Slowly pour the remaining maple mixture over the dough, allowing it to run through the holes in the dough. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve with ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

Other saucey pudds:

Country Spice Pudding Cake   

Magic Banana Caramel Pudding 

 

 

Buttered Rum and Raisin Rice Pudding

Our sweet treat of the week is inspired by a recipe in a very old cookbook (Purity) and brings with it memories of my Mother's version - without the rum of course. Mom would make it for me whenever I visited because she knew it was a favorite, although she cooked her pudding in a little double boiler and it seemed to take hours and hours.

This version is much quicker and without need for any special equipment but it doesn't suffer in any way shape or form for its simplicity. I used some cooked rice leftover from another meal earlier in the week Big Guy saved with a hint that it would be great in a pudding.

Mixed with a custard of sugar, whole milk and eggs, this stove top version of rice pudding makes for an extremely creamy result. Loaded with plump juicy raisins that have been soaked in rum for an hour or so and finished with a pat of butter, it's barely sweet, definitely delicious and gets better and better with time in the refrigerator - that is if it lasts long enough for you to be able to tell such a thing. If you prefer a sweeter pudding, feel free to increase the amount of sugar accordingly.

Alas, it wasn't our only sweet treat of the week although it really deserved to receive top billing. I made a meyer lemon version of the flourless kumquat cake.  I merely cut back on the cooking time of the fruit to 30 minutes because the lemons cooked a lot faster than the kumquats, but otherwise followed the same method and it was absolutely sublime. Notice the past tense? Yup - it's all gone too.

Creamy Buttered Rum & Raisin Rice Pudding (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Purity Cookbook)

1/2 cup seedless raisins

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/2 cup sugar (increase to 3/4 cup if you prefer a sweeter pudding)

Pinch salt

1-1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups cooked long grain or Arborio rice

2 eggs

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Mix raisins and rum together in a small bowl and soak for minimum half an hour. Combine sugar, salt, milk and pre-cooked rice in a small pot. Place over medium heat and warm, stirring occasionally until hot – do not allow to boil. Meanwhile in a small bowl beat together eggs and cornstarch. When milk/rice mixture is hot, carefully and slowly whisk a third of it into the beaten egg mixture to temper the eggs, and then add the mixture back to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat until mixture is thickened and bubbles “blurp” on the surface. Remove from heat and stir in butter and reserved soaked rum and raisin mixture. Remove to a bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface of pudding. Cool. Serve either warm or chilled with or without cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

By the way, in case you're wondering we had cheddar bacon burgers last night with a second batch of the homemade sandwich rolls I made the other day. Yup - I just HAD to do it all again because there's really no excuse. The rolls take limited time to prep and the payoff is incredible. Just ask the neighbors salivating on the sidewalk outside the kitchen window!

A year ago - Lemon Risotto    Two year's ago - Shrimp and Andouille on Grits

Steamed Apple Maple Pudding

Home again, home again ...yes the man of the house finally made it home and seeing as he'd been eating in fancy restaurants for the past week (2 actually, but who's counting), I thought I'd welcome him with something simple but delicious for dinner.

We've had this Cheesy Cauliflower Soup before so I'll point you in that direction for the recipe but before you go, here's the goods. Surprise, surprise there's not a spec of meat in it and although it might benefit from a crispy bacon garnish, it really doesn't need a thing. Loaded with onion, celery, carrots and cauliflower cooked in chicken stock them made creamy with milk and cheese, it's a spicy cheesy blend of stick to your ribs warm comfort. Garnished with a touch of Matouk's hot sauce, totally optional of course, it's great grub for a cold winter's evening.

Of course a dinner consisting of a simple bowl of soup and crackers deserves a sweet finish, so I whipped up a steamed pudding that's a perfect showcase for maple syrup and crisp apples. The British wrote the book on steamed puddings and to be honest I think they're responsible for cooking up some of the most amazing simple old fashioned delicious desserts. We have them to thank for all kinds of glorious things like Summer Pudding, Trifles and Sticky Toffee Pudding and we can thank them for the inspiration for this lovely concoction.

Simply chopped apples cooked briefly in butter and maple syrup and topped with a cake like pudding, it steams in a pudding mold then gets flipped out and looks like this. Perfect served with a thin custard sauce (creme Anglaise), we had the warm cakey goodness with plain old vanilla ice cream because I was too lazy to make the custard.

I have to admit that I had some fun converting the measurements from grams, so it may require a little more tweaking to make it perfect but it's still a lovely dessert. Definitely not overpoweringly sweet, the next time I give it a go I'll use a sweeter apple instead of my favorite Granny Smith's and caramelize the apples more before they hit the pudding mold. Also the original recipe from bbcgoodfood.com calls for golden syrup rather than the maple I substituted and I have a feeling the end result would be quite different but no more delicious I'm sure. I mean you really can't beat the flavor of maple never mind the bourbon I added to the mix ...don't worry Big Guy - I used the cheaper stuff and saved the Knob Creek for sippin'. By the way you could substitute pears for the apples if you wish.

Steamed Apple and Maple Pudding (Inspired by bbcgoodfood.com)

4 tart apples (I used Granny Smith)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter

Cake:

1/3 cup butter (room temperature)

2/3 cup brown sugar (do not pack)

2 eggs

1/4 cup bourbon, rum or milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 cup self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Spray a pudding mold with cooking spray, coat with flour shaking off excess, and then set aside.

Peel and core apples and cut into small quarter inch cubes. Heat butter and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Add apples and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until slightly browned. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, bourbon, and maple syrup and beat well to combine. Add flour and salt and mix until combined. Place apples on the bottom of the prepared pudding mold and add batter over top, smoothing top to even out. Spray lid of pudding mold with cooking spray, then cover and lock clips of mold. Place into a steamer or large pot with water half way up sides of pudding. Bring water to a simmer, cover pot and cook for 1-1/2 hours or until skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. Remove from pot and cool briefly, then carefully flip onto serving plate. Scoop any apple that remains in pudding mold into center of pudding. Serve with thin custard or ice cream. Serves 4 to 6.

Perfect Pear Puddin'

Is this a cobbler? Is it a cake? How about a torte? Does it look like a souffle? Yesterday's sweet treat for the week creation defies description so I'll take a page from our British friends and call it a pudding. It may be hard to name but believe me it's not difficult to eat. It's a keeper!

You all must know by now that when the Big Guy's away, I don't spend a heck of a lot of time in the kitchen. Hey cooking for one is a real drag so last night's dinner was a very healthy hardly flavorful tiny excuse for a TV dinner of the lean variety. What can I say except sriracha and hoisin come in real handy sometimes.

But don't feel sorry for me because I knew I had to give you something to gnaw on today and what's better than a sweet treat for the week. I had to make up the caloric deficit somehow, didn't I?

I mixed up a little shortbread crumble and sprinkled it on the bottom of a 10 ounce ramekin, then  peeled a pear, leaving the stem on. Hollowing out the blossom end with a melon baller to get to the core, I filled the hole with a glug of pure maple syrup and placed the pear stem end up onto the bed of shortbread crumbs. I snuggled a rich sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla flavored egg custard around the pear, sprinkled the top with a few more shortbread crumbs and the whole shebang hit the oven for 30 minutes.

The result ...blissful! Thanks to the moisture from the custard, the shortbread crumbs form a cake on the bottom, maple flavored of course due to the pool of syrup. The crumbs on top are slightly crisp and the pear is perfectly sweet and wonderfully cooked. It just goes to show ya' that a little imagination in the kitchen goes a long way. The proof is in the pudding.

Maple Pear Pudding (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Dash of salt

6 tablespoons cold butter

4 ripe pears

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 4 – 10 ounce ramekins with cooking spray and set on a baking sheet to collect any spills. Combine flour, sugar and salt together in a small bowl. Cut cold butter into mixture using a pastry blender until mixture resembles small crumbs. Set aside.  Peel pears, leaving them whole with stem intact. Using a small melon baller or sharp measuring spoon, hollow out the blossom end of the pear to remove the core.  Place 2 heaping tablespoons of flour/butter mixture into bottom of each ramekin. Pour 1 tablespoon of maple syrup into hollow of each pear and then place hollow side down/stem up on top of shortbread mixture in ramekins.

 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons half and half

2 teaspoons vanilla

Whisk together brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, half and half and vanilla. Pour mixture around pears in  ramekin, dividing evenly between the 4 ramekins. Sprinkle remaining shortbread crumbs on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted into custard comes out clean and pears are tender. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold. Makes 4.

A year ago - Eggs in Purgatory

Blueberry Lemon Bread Pudding

Big Guy took me out for dinner last night because I didn't feel like cooking so the dogs and I talked him into it. Now this morning has flown by on wings as we set the stage for my S.O.'s departure for most of the week. Man, I hate packing his suitcases, I love unpacking 'em and I really hate when my guy is away from home! Not much I can do about it though and I have to admit time apart just makes for sweet reunions, right?

Speaking of sweet, here's a little inspiration for some sweet and delicious lemon kissed blueberry bread puddings. I made these a little while ago as our sweet "muse" of the week and neglected to tell you about them. It's old news that JBug loves her puddin' and if you add bread to the mixture, well ...you'll get the picture when you see the number of variations there are on this blog.

Pineapple Rum         Creole with Bourbon     Butterscotch Pecan

White Chocolate     Choco Sour Cherry      Pumpkin and Caramel

   

This one combines 2 of my favorite flavors - Meyer lemon from our lovely tree in the yard, and tiny little wild blueberries from Trader Joe's freezer. Put them together with 4 slices of texas toast, crusts removed and innards cubed along with a couple of eggs, some moo juice and a hit of limoncello and you've got a couple of glorious servings of down home country style perfection.

Lemon Blueberry Bread Pudding (adapted from myrecipes.com)

2 cups half inch fresh bread cubes, no crusts

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Rind of one half a lemon

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon Limóncello liquor (optional)

1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries

Combine granulated sugar, lemon rind, beaten eggs, milk and Limóncello and whisk together well. Fold in bread cubes and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray and place in a casserole dish or baking pan with 2 inch high sides. Divide half the bread mixture between the four ramekins. Divide the blueberries evenly between the ramekins and finish with the rest of the bread mixture. Cover each ramekin with a piece of aluminum foil. Fill baking plan with boiling water so it is about 1 inch up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully move pan into oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil from ramekins and continue baking for 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from water bath and place on a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate when cool. Serve warm or cold, dusted with powdered sugar or with whipped cream. Drizzle on a little more Limóncello if you'd like a little more kick! Makes 4 servings.  

A year ago - Pasta with Duck and Cranberries

Turkey Day Revisited

I think we're all intimately acquainted with the difficult part of holiday meals. You know - the days and days of planning; the work of preparation; the mad rush getting everything on the table at the same time; the worry about whether the hot dishes are hot enough and the cold stuff cold and stays cold so there's not a bathroom stampede or run on TP later; setting the table; picking just the right flowers; chilling the wine; making sure Auntie Jo who absolutely hates her brother John's wife is sitting no where near her so another family war is averted and then it's all over in about 20 minutes flat, except for the clean up that is. Now where's the justice in that?

We didn't have to deal with any of that this year because glory be - it was just the two of us. Our juicy little Cider and Maple Brined Turkey courtesy of November's Cooking Light, came off the Weber rotisserie after 3 short hours a mahogany colored perfectly cooked wonder of talent and ingenuity. The sides were perfect, the gravy hot and bubbly and the apple cranberry compote a perfect jewel toned addition to the loaded plate.You're looking at the Big Guy's - mine was just a trifle smaller.

Clean up was accomplished in record time, leftovers stowed for enough meals to last most of the weekend and a bottle of lovely Pinot Noir savored to the last drop before we tucked into the creamy, rich and gingery creme brulee. Gosh darn it, I think we might be on to something!

Ginger Crème Brulee (adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine)

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Dash salt

5 egg yolks

Granulated sugar for garnish

Heat cream, ginger and 2 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. Cover pot and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 and boil kettle full of water. Arrange 4 ramekins in a pan with 2 inch sides. With a whisk, beat egg yolks with remaining quarter cup of sugar until yolks are light in color. Gradually add cream to egg yolks, whisking lightly to combine. Put mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher or 4 cup measure, and then pour evenly into ramekins. Fill baking dish with water half way up sides of ramekins and carefully move pan to oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until custards are cooked but still “jiggle” in the center. When cooked immediately remove from water bath and place on wire racks to cool. When room temperature cover and refrigerate until very cold (can be prepared several days in advance). Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each ramekin and using a kitchen torch, brulee until caramelized. Serves 4. Download Ginger Creme Brulee

 

 

Rhubarb Apple Diddle Dumplings

I have another confession to make. There's nothing we like better than rhubarb except maybe rhubarb with almost anything else, like say raspberries, strawberries, apples or cranberries. I don't think there's anything quite like it and crave it constantly likely due to the fact that rhubarb thrives in cooler climates and can't be found au natural anywhere near these parts. Cactus pear yes, rhubarb no.

Thankfully I've been able to pick some up at our local Sprouts to stash in the freezer. Of course it would help a lot if I could just leave it there for a while and let my stash build up, but oh no. I'm using it up faster than I can buy it. Darn.

One of our favorite sweet treats for the week is this fabulous old fashioned dessert courtesy of Canadian cooking guru's The Best of Bridge. The ladies showcase Apple Diddle Diddle Dumplings in their book, The Rest of the Best and it is absolutely stellar. I've even used the basis of it to create new versions by using different fruit. 

See the peach version here                or with blueberries here

 

Whatever you choose to fill the little rolly polly nummers with, the Rhubarb Apple ones have been voted our favorites - at least for now.

Flakey, buttery biscuit like dough rolled around a filling of sliced rhubarb with a touch of apple - awesome! I hate to admit, but I only added the apple because I didn't think I had enough rhubarb; however, that one little solitary Granny Smith sure added some nice crunch and fabulous flavor to the end result.

If you're lucky enough to have some fresh rhubarb in your garden, for heavens sake give this one a try. If it fails to make you famous, for sure you'll be popular.

Rhubarb Apple Diddle Diddle Dumplings (adapted from The Rest of the Best, Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

Sauce:

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1-1/2 cups water

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine brown sugar, water, butter and cinnamon in a medium sized saucepan. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 12 pan or 12 inch round gratin dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Filling:

3 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

Toss fruit together and set aside.

Dough:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter

2/3 cup whole milk

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in butter into mixture using a pastry blender until butter pieces are pea sized.  Make a well in the center of flour butter mixture and add milk. Using a fork, stir just until mixture is moistened. Turn out onto a lightly flour surface and knead gently until dough holds together (8 to 10 times). Roll dough into a 10 x 12 inch rectangle. Place fruit in a row down center of dough and bring sides of dough up to meet in the middle. Press together to form a long roll, sealing edges well. Cut into 1 inch pieces and place evenly in prepared baking dish. Pour sauce over top of dumplings and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

A year ago - Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes

Rhubarb Pineapple Crumble

Talk about making the common extraordinary!This Rhubarb Pineapple Crumble made short work of some rhubarb I had hanging out in the back of the freezer and a can of pineapple chunks from the pantry. The combined flavors bring back memories of a jam my little Mommy used to make from rhubarb and crushed pineapple. It was my favorite (one of the many that is) next to her wild strawberry/rhubarb jam.

The only problem - time still hasn't helped to fade the scary memories of having to hit the dark dingy root cellar with its dirt floor home to mice, creepy crawlies, a resident salamander and copious spider webs. I'm darn chicken for a country girl and I'd hate when it was my turn to hit the stairs to the basement to fetch the loot never mind the fear of dropping something. Course living in the desert has made me a little more tolerant of creepy crawly slithering things. It'll either do that to ya', or make ya' crazy.

There's absolutely nothing to hate about this fabulous fruit combination though and it's a great way to make use of the first fruit of spring or the stash of good stuff you're hiding for just the right occasion.  This particular recipe is adapted from Diana's Desserts so check out the source when you've a chance. Meanwhile, I made a few subtle changes so I'm reproducing it for your reading pleasure.

Just one small hint before you rush out to buy the ingredients - be sure to make it in a large shallow pan. That way you'll have the perfect proportion of fruit and crumbs in every bite. Oh, and add some vanilla ice cream to your list. As you can see it really doesn't need it but...well you know!

Rhubarb Pineapple Crumble (adapted from Diana’s Desserts)

3 cups frozen rhubarb in 1/2 inch slices (no need to thaw)

1 – 15 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved

1 egg, beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice

Topping:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 -1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a shallow 12 inch casserole or gratin dish. Place rhubarb and pineapple chunks on bottom. In a small bowl combine egg, granulated sugar, flour, vanilla and pineapple juice. Beat well to mix. Pour in ribbons over top of fruit mixture in pan.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar and cinnamon. Add butter and using a pastry blender or your fingers, crumble together until mixture is about the size of small peas. Sprinkle lightly on top of fruit and batter. Bake in 350 oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until topping is golden brown in color and fruit is bubbling up on sides of pan. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.    Download Rhubarb Pineapple Crumble

Creole Bread Pudding with Warm Bourbon Sauce

In our house, we'd rather have bread pudding than almost anything. Add bourbon and pecans to the equation and you've got a real winner.

 

According to Bon Appetit this is a classic New Orleans Creole pudding and I have to say it's darn easy to put together, as is the case for most bread puddings. This one, constructed using cinnamon bread crusts and all, along with the usual custard ingredients has a firmer texture than some variations but topped with toasted pecans and swimming in a quick and easy bourbon sauce, it'll warm the cockles of your heart in no time flat.

It went down really easy last night - my serving substituted for dinner because the big guy had a late class, and after he got home he downed his in seconds after finishing up the rest of the shrimp and grits from the night before.

Just so you know - I cut the original recipe in half and filled two 10 ounce ramekins. Truly it is a rather large helping but we had no problem finishing it off, not that left over bread pudding is a bad thing mind you. Slice it up, saute it in a touch of butter and slather syrup on it and you've got a stellar stand in for french toast. After all, that's really what it is you know!

Hurray, hurray we're on our way.

The big guy and moi are leaving today.

We''re off on an adventure for a little while

Meanwhile check in daily and don't change this dial.

Cheerio, pip pip, hasta...well you know... Bye!

Bread Pudding with Warm Bourbon Sauce (adapted from Bon Appetit via epicurious.com)

Sauce:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons whipping cream

2 tablespoons bourbon

Pinch of salt

Melt butter in a small pan over medium high heat. Whisk in sugar and whipping cream and simmer until thickened, whisking constantly (takes about 3 minutes). Stir in bourbon and salt.

Pudding:

This will fill 4 – 6 ounce ramekins or overfill 2 – 10 ounce ones. Adjust baking time as required. Double recipe to fill an 8 inch square pan.

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

1/4 cup toasted pecans

4 slices cinnamon bread, crusts and all cut into cubes (approx. 2 cups)

Butter ramekins and arrange in a baking dish with 2 inch sides. Place bread and pecans into ramekins filling to top. Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread in ramekins and let stand for 5 minutes. Push bread down into custard and refrigerate for 1 hour (minimum).

Preheat oven to 375. Add boiling water to baking dish to come up half way on sides of ramekins. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center of pudding comes out clean and puddings are puffed and golden in color. Cool slightly, invert onto serving plates and serve with warm sauce. Download Bread Pudding with Warm Bourbon Sauce

Country Spice Pudding Cake

Are you still snowed in? You just finished clearing the sidewalks and digging out the car yesterday and there's more snow on the way today? There's no eggs in the refrigerator and not much butter or milk either but you're craving something sweet, warm and good for the soul? Boy, have I got just the thing for you!

Raid your baking cupboard for a little flour and brown sugar and hit the spice cabinet for cinnamon and nutmeg; add a little vanilla and some plump sweet raisins and you've practically got it made. This old fashioned recipe starts out with the cake on the bottom and a sweet spicy sugary watery sauce on top and comes out of the oven exactly the opposite - light spongy cake on top with a smooth buttery spicy sauce on the bottom.

It's like magic, honestly! Along with the cinnamon ice cream we used on that fabulous apple pie last week, this is an absolutely to die for bowl of warm yummy goodness. I should know...I just had the last of it for breakfast! By the way, be sure to make it in a large shallow pan - I used a 10 inch quiche pan with 1-1/2 inch sides that I placed on a sheet pan to catch drips - and a good thing I did too. Oh if you're so inclined, you might try adding some walnuts or pecans for a little crunch too!

So what's happening around this neck of the woods you ask? Well, I'm still gimping around and the big guy's gone back to the killing fields for another 3 days of hunting. He's got even more incentive now because his huntin' partner managed to bag one very ugly peccary yesterday while the big guy was back in the city teaching his class. Men...you know how it goes? There seems to be an unwritten law that "one shall not outdo the other". If the big guy has his way, we're doomed to have skunk pig in the freezer by Saturday. Darn! Now what am I gonna' do?

Country Spice Pudding Cake (adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, The Best of the Best)

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup milk

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

 Sauce:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a shallow 10 inch baking pan (or cast iron skillet) with cooking spray. Using a fork, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt and raisins. Add milk and vanilla and combine just until mixed. Do not over-mix or the cake will be tough. Spoon into baking dish and level out as best you can. Batter will be very thick.

In a bowl or large mixing cup, combine brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add boiling water and butter and stir well until butter has melted. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cake in pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.  Makes 6 servings. Download Country Spice Pudding Cake

 

Butterscotch Pecan Bread Pudding

I've been out of commission the past couple of days with a bad back and honestly I haven't been in any shape to cook but my drug induced stupor hasn't kept the sweet treat cravings in check - no not one little bit. I've been waiting for just the right opportunity to share another bread pudding with you all and here's one that was cooked up a while ago.

You know, the standard combination of eggy custard and bread or croissants can be adjusted in a multitude of ways to create just about any flavor of bread pudding your little heart desires. In this case I simply added toasted pecans, butterscotch chips and a tablespoon of the Dewar's Scotch that's been languishing in the liquor cabinet for years.

The result you ask? Served warm - it's a creamy bubble of yummy goodness, particularly on a puddle of butterscotch sauce but served cold - well cold it's darn near a perfect excuse to have dessert for breakfast. 

Butterscotch Pecan Bread Pudding (from JBug’s Kitchen)

6 cups day old bread cubes (1/2 inch cubes crusts removed…I used Texas Toast)

3 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup half and half

1 tablespoon Scotch (optional)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Dash salt

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup toasted pecans

Spray six 6 ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Divide toasted pecans evenly between each ramekin, placing pecans on bottom and set aside.  

Beat together eggs, granulated sugar, cream, half and half, vanilla and salt until well blended. Stir in bread pieces. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Fill ramekins half full with mixture and sprinkle with butterscotch chips. Cover with remaining bread custard mixture leaving a quarter inch of space at top for expansion. Place ramekins in a larger pan. Fill pan with boiling water – about half way up sides of ramekins. Bake for 40 minutes or until knife inserted into middle comes out slightly wet. Puddings should be puffed and golden but have some “jiggle” left. Serve warm or cold, flipped onto a puddle of butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and boil until it thickens (about 15 minutes), watching closely to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Old Fashioned Lemon Pudding

I admit I ate leftover gumbo last night for dinner. I mean with the gorgeous tasting stuff in the fridge and the big guy away, who wouldn't, so rather than repeat myself and tell you how absolutely incredibly delicious it is I'll tell you about a lemon pudding I made earlier in the week.

This is an old fashioned kind of pudding that my Mother would have made had we enjoyed fresh lemons back in the day. They were considered quite the luxury and insanely expensive to buy in Northern Ontario, Canada where I grew up. About the closest thing we got to lemons was the plastic kind with the phony tasting concentrated "real" juice and that would taste really bad in a pudding like this one. Luckily we still have a host of Meyer lemons to use but memories of that plastic lemon shaped ball on the door of the fridge make me realize how incredibly fortunate we are to be able to pick fresh ones off the tree in our own back yard. How Mother would have loved that!

Simple and quick to make, this creamy concoction mixes sugar and cornstarch with milk, eggs, lemon zest and juice. Enriched with a pat of butter and jazzed up with limoncello it was our tart and sweet treat for the week. By the way, while it's darn tasty in a bowl, it would also be fabulous sandwiched between two layers of cake. Just sayin'!

Old Fashioned Lemon Custard Pudding (inspired by Purity Cookbook)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

pinch of salt

2-1/3 cups whole milk

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons limoncello (optional)

In a small saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended. Slowly whisk in cold milk. Place over medium heat, and cook stirring constantly until mixture is thickened. Beat together egg and egg yolk. Carefully whisk in about half of the thickened milk mixture and blend well to temper the eggs and prevent curdling. Whisking constantly, return egg mixture to saucepan and cook whisking constantly over medium low heat until very thick (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice and butter. Whisk until butter is melted and incorporated. Put mixture through a wire sieve into a glass bowl. Whisk in limoncello. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of pudding and refrigerate until cold. Spoon into individual bowls and garnish with whipped cream if desired. Makes 4 servings. Download Old Fashioned Lemon Custard Pudding