Showing posts sorted by relevance for query bread pudding. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query bread pudding. Sort by date Show all posts
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is not a photo of a loaf of bread. Instead it is a photo of a delicious cheese on toast, which is something tasty you can do with your bread after you bake it!
I thought it would be a lot more exciting to look at than a loaf of bread, as tasty as that loaf of bread might be!!
.JPG "Milk Bread")
There are only so many ways that you can present a loaf of bread before the photos all start to look the same, no matter how different the loaves might be from each other. No matter how delicious!
And this is one very delicious loaf of bread. So delicious I baked it twice last week! It is a bread machine recipe. I am making my bread machine pay for itself!
There are some people as might think that using a bread machine is cheating, but then again, they have never tasted my homemade from scratch bread. If they had they would know that using a bread machine is an improvement for me from the real deal.
.JPG "milk bread")
When baking traditional breads, I am really good at baking door stops! I kid you not. Okay, maybe slightly better, but not much. I have found that using my bread machine improves vastly upon that experience!
This recipe for Milk Bread Has been adapted from a recipe found in the book, The Bread Lover's Bread Machine book, but Beth Hensperger, which has become my bread machine bread baking bible!!
Seriously. I haven't had a loaf fail on me yet! And I have been baking at least two or three a week.
.JPG "Milk Bread")
This is a beautiful loaf of bread, the perfect loaf of white bread I would go so far as to say. It has a fabulous homemade bread flavor and a beautiful tight crumb as you can see.
Milk breads are in the category of lean breads, which simply means that they use very little fat or sweetener.
When you choose to use milk in a bread dough, it increases and strengthens the capacity of the flour to absorb liquid, especially when you are using a high gluten flour.
It also helps to decrease the acidity in a dough, causing the yeast to work more efficiently, and to age or ferment more slowly, giving your bread a delicate flavor.
Perfect for sandwiches and the like, this is quite simply a beautiful loaf of bread!
.JPG "cheese on toast")
I used some of it today to make myself some cheese on toast after church. Hence all the cheesy photos! Have you ever made cheese on toast? I wager most of you have. It makes a great light lunch!
Quick and easy too. On Sundays when I get home from church I am famished and quick and easy is the order of the day! I also usually go to my sister's for supper, so I need to eat something that is not so filling so as not to ruin that!
To make a good cheese on toast you want to start off with a great bread and I did. Toast it lightly in the toaster and then butter it lightly. You don't have to butter it, but I always do, and then I like to spread it lightly with some grainy mustard.
Cheese and mustard are perfect partners!
.JPG "cheese on toast")
After you have done that you can sprinkle on the cheese. Today I used a cheddar blend, but to be honest I prefer it with a much stronger cheddar. Pile on as little or as much cheese as you wish.
I, myself, am a bit of a glutton and I like to add a fair amount of cheese.
.JPG "Cheese on Toast")
Did your mother make you bacon and cheese on toast when you were growing up?? Mind did and what a treat that was. She would use process cheese slices and cooked bacon. My how delicious it was.
Today I remembered that I had some already cooked bacon in my freezer and I added some to half of my cheese on toast slices! Cheese and bacon are also perfect partners!
.JPG "cheese on toast")
A few minutes under a hot grill/broiler and Bob' your uncle! You have a very delicious Cheese on toast!
That bread all buttery toasty and golden edged. The cheese all ooey and gooey. The bacon crisp and delicious!
This is the perfect lunch. One of my favorite bits is the cheese that melts on the pan. Yes, yes, yummity, yummity!
.JPG "cheese on toast")
HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BREAD IN A BREAD MACHINE
1. Measure by weight and not volume. Weight is a much more precise way to measure. You can't go wrong. I have a set of digital scales that I use. I just pop the bread pan onto them and measure away. My scales measure in grams, Kg, pounds and ounces, milliliters, etc. I started baking by weight when I lived in the UK and I would now never bake any other way.
2. Bread machine loaves work best with bread flour. Bread flour can also be labeled "Best for Bread" or "High Gluten flour."
3. You can use regular flour, but if you do I recommend adding Vital Wheat Gluten to the recipe. This helps to boost the protein content of the bread.
4. Measure very carefully. If you don't add enough flour, no matter the type of flour you use, the bread will collapse and is often uncooked in the center. If you add too much flour, you will end up with a dense, hard heavy ball.
.JPG "cheese on toast")
5. I add Vital Wheat Gluten to all of my recipes for bread making in a bread machine. You can purchase it online. It helps to yield a much better loaf, helping the loaf to rise higher with a nicer texture than without.
Vital wheat gluten is best stored in the refrigerator (for up to one year), but you can store it on the counter if you think you will use it up within two months (highly unlikely for the home baker.)
6. Yeast is a vital component in making yeasted breads! Duh. It can come in many forms. I recommend using yeast which is prepared specifically for use in the bread machine. I store my yeast in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.
7. Salt is another important component in bread making. Do not however, let the salt touch the yeast. Salt is important in bread making, not only as a flavor enhancer, but also in controlling the level of yeast fermentation.
8. Follow the recommendations when it comes to the order of adding ingredients to your machine. There are reasons why some machines put the dry ingredients first and the wet last. Others might recommend putting in the wet first and the dry last. YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE EXACT ORDER AS RECOMMENDED BY YOUR PARTICULAR MODEL!!
Most of the time when a recipe fails it is because the baker fails to follow the correct directions as per the machine they are using.
I had a loaf fail last week and it was because I was in a rush and failed to make sure that the pan had engaged with bottom of the bread machine when I dropped the pan into the maker. As a result it did not mix up, rise or anything. I got a huge surprise when I opened the machine when it beeped to tell me it was done. Lesson learned! Don't be in such a rush!
.JPG "cheese on toast")
There are so many delicious things to do with a perfectly baked loaf of bread. I love a simple supper sometimes of just BREAD & JAM. One tasty mouthful and I am a child again! Soooo good!
I also love to enjoy it with soups and stews or with a tasty filling as a sandwich!
Leftovers are also never wasted. Some of my favorite ways to use stale bread are:
OLD TIME BREAD PUDDING - This is a lovely old fashioned recipe which results in a dense and heavy bread pudding, nicely spiced and filled with fruit. You can cut it into squares and eat it out of hand. This is the bread pudding which fuels many British Childhood memories!
BREAD AND POTATO STUFFING - This is a very Maritime Canadian thing. This is the stuffing which always accompanied all of my childhood Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys! It is delicious!
SWEET ALMOND BREAD PUDDING WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE - This is one of the most delicious bread puddings you could ever want to eat. It's rich custard is topped with the crunch of toasted almonds and the blackberry sauce is to die for!
I really hope that you will be inspired to bake this loaf of bread. It is truly a lovely loaf. You can let it bake totally in your bread machine, or use the dough cycle and finish the bread in a traditional oven, baking it in a traditional bread pan.
That way you don't have the paddle hole in the center of the loaf. This never bothers me actually, but I do know some people are put off by it! In any case, if bread be the staff of life, bake on! You won't be sorry!!
.JPG "Milk Bread")
Milk Bread
Yield: 1 (1 1/2 lb) loaf
This is a beautiful white bread for beginning bread makers. It has a beautiful homemade bread flavor. It will keep well for two to three days and makes beautiful sandwiches and toast!
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cups (9 fluid ounces) whole full fat milk
- 1 TBS butter, cut into bits
- 3 cups (420g) bread flour
- 1 TBS sugar
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to your bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions for your particular model. (In mine you start with the yeast, then flour, butter, then wet, then salt.)
- Choose basic/white program setting, based on the options of your particular machine. Select the loaf size, color, and press start.
- When loaf is done, remove it from the baking pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least half an hour prior to slicing it. (I know its hard to wait!!)
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
For as long as I can remember and beyond Saturday night suppers back home in Nova Scotia and indeed all down the Eastern part of Canada and the US, Saturday night baked bean suppers have been the tradition.
I thought this weekend I would make our Christmas pudding for this Christmas and get it done and put away so that it is nicely ripened for the big day. Christmas puddings are a really big deal over here in the UK.
Back home we might have had a Carrot Pudding with Brown Sugar Sauce, but we didn't really do Christmas Puddings as such. The carrot pudding would usually have to be made on the day, although admittedly, my MIL used to make it and freeze it, and then just reheat it in the top of a double boiler.
Christmas Puddings are a very traditional thing here in the UK. Christmas (or Plum) Pudding is the traditional end to the British Christmas dinner. But what we think of as Christmas Pudding, is not what it was originally like!
Christmas pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called 'frumenty' that was made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. This was quite liquidy, would need to be eaten with a spoon like a soup, and would have been a fasting meal during the preparations up to Christmas.
By 1595, frumenty was slowly changing into a plum pudding, having been
thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and given more flavor with
the addition of beer and spirits. It became the customary Christmas
dessert around 1650, but in 1664 the Puritans banned it as a bad custom. (Those old Puritans were a bunch of party-poopers!)
In 1714, King George I re-established it as part of the Christmas meal,
having tasted and enjoyed Plum Pudding, and by Victorian times, Christmas
Puddings had changed into something very similar to the ones which are prepared and eaten
today.
The Plum pudding is a national symbol – It does not represent a class or
caste, but the bulk of the English nation. There is not a man, woman or
child raised above what the French would call proletaires that does not
expect a taste of plum pudding of some sort or another on Christmas
Day.
~London Illustrated News, 1850
Traditionally a Christmas Pudding is prepared on the last Sunday before Lent, which is lovingly referred to as "Stir Up Sunday." Stir-up-Sunday is usually a family affair.
Each family member is supposed to stir the mixture from East to West to honour the journey of the Magi. This ritual is also thought to bring the family luck and prosperity in the coming year.
At one time it was also customary to hide a number of small trinkets in the mixture, a bit like the twelfth night cake. These charms often included a silver coin (wealth), and a ring (future marriage).
Woe betide the guest who stumbled across a thimble in their serving. A future of Spinsterhood was a cert for them! Nowadays this generally isn't done, although Todd does remember his mom putting coins into theirs.
I am doing mine a bit earlier this year so that I can present you a tutorial on it and give you time to get in any necessary ingredients, etc. "Stir-up-Sunday" this year will be the 19th November.
125g dried figs, quartered (3/4 cup)
100g raisins (2/3 cup)
75g golden raisins (scant half cup)
75g dried currants (scant half cup)
50g glace cherries (1/3 cup)
65g candied ginger (scant half cup)
100 ml brandy (6 1/2 TBS)
125g butter, softened (1/2 cup)
140g soft light brown sugar (2/3 cup)
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
1 large free range egg
25g blanched almonds chopped roughly (3 TBS)
25g toasted pecans, chopped roughly (3 TBS)
90g soft white bread crumbs (1 generous cup)
30g plain flour (1/4 cup)
15g self raising flour (1/8 cup)
1/2 tsp each ground mixed spice and ground cinnamon
pinch salt
Mix
all of the dried fruit together in a bowl. Add the brandy and stir,
mixing well together. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave on the
counter overnight to macerate.
The next day bruht a 1 litre
pudding basin (5 cup) well with melted butter and place a round of
baking paper in the bottom. Set aside.
Cream the butter,
sugar and orange zest together until light and fluffy in a large bowl.
Beat in the egg. Stir together both flours, nuts, spices and bread
crumbs. Add the macerated fruit and stir together to combine. Stir this
mixture into the creamed mixture combining well together. Spoon into
the prepared pudding basin, pressing it down to compact, smoothing the
top withthe back of a wooden spoon. Tap on the counter several times to
remove any air holes.
Place a large sheet of tinfoil on
the counter. Top it with an equal sized piece of baking paper. Butter
the paper. Make a pleat in the centre of both sheets together. Wrap
them over top of the pudding, leaving room for expansion. Secure
tightly with either a rubber band or kitchen string.
Place a
small heat proof trivet in the bottom of a large saucepan (with a tight
fitting lid). Lower the pudding into the saucepan, placing it on top of
the trivet. Fill the saucepan with enough boiling water to come 3/4 of
the way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Cover tightly and simmer over
low heat for 4 to 4 1/2 hours, topping up as necessary with boiling
water. Do NOT let it boil dry.
At the end of that time,
carefully fremove it from the saucepan. Leave to cool overnight. The
next day remove and discard the messy wrappings and rewrap in some clean
baking paper, foil and string. Store in a cool dark and dry place
until Christmas.
On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam (in
the container) for about an hour until heated through. Unwrap and turn
out onto a serving plate. Serve with your favourite sauces.
(You can serve it with Brandy Butter, Brown Sugar Sauce, Cream, Custard, etc.)
This was fun. I hope you will give it a go and make your own Christmas Pudding this year. It's really not that hard to do, and when you make your own, you know exactly what has gone into it! Bon Appetite!
I am doing mine a bit earlier this year so that I can present you a tutorial on it and give you time to get in any necessary ingredients, etc. "Stir-up-Sunday" this year will be the 19th November.
The fruit mixture of the pudding is a mix of dried figs, currants, raisins, golden raisins, cherries and candied ginger.
All are mixed together in a bowl the night before you go to make your pudding and a portion of brandy is poured over top and the fruit left to macerate in this overnight on the counter top.
A clean towel over top to keep it safe from dust and insects. If you don't like to use alcohol, you can use orange juice in an equivalent amount.
The next day softened butter is creamed together with soft light brown sugar, orange zest, ground cinnamon and ground mixed spice.
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon,
1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger,
1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an
airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
An egg also gets beaten into this, a bit at a time so it doesn't curdle.
Fresh soft white bread crumbs are mixed with chopped blanched almonds and toasted pecan nuts.
Two kinds of flour are stirred into this mix of nuts, bread crumbs and spice. Plain flour and self raising flour.
You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.
You then mix the macerated fruit together with the flour/nut/bread crumb/spice mixture.
This mixture then gets added and stirred into the creamed mixture to combine. Make sure everyone gives it a stir and makes a wish.
Don't forget East to West, just don't ask me which is which, lol! If you are putting trinkets in this is when you would do it.
I would wrap them in cling film first or waxed paper, and don't forget to warn any guests that they are there when it comes to eating!
The pudding basin is prepared by generously brushing it with melted butter and placing a round of baking paper in the bottom.
Pack the pudding mixture into the prepared pudding basin, smoothing the top out with the back of a wooden spoon.
Once you've done this tap the bottom of the basin on the countertop a few times to settle and work out any air holes.
This is the most complicated part of the pudding. Creating the lid to wrap it in. Lay a large piece of foil on the table, and top it with an equal sized piece of baking paper.
You then make a pleat in the paper, bearing in mind that the baking paper will be the side against the pudding. Butter the paper.
I fold them in half with the paper on the inside, and then, from about 2 inches down, I fold them back on themselves.
It should look like this on the paper side, and like the top picture from the foil side.
Wrap this over the top of your pudding basin, leaving plenty of room for expansion, paper side towards the pudding. Tie it tightly onto the bowl with some kitchen twine, bakers twine or even using a rubber band.
I use bakers twine and using a generous length, after I have knotted it, I fashion a handle with the excess that I bring back over the top and secure on the opposite side. This makes it easier to lift out of the pan when its done.
Trim off the excess paper and foil so it looks nice and neat.
You will need a large saucepan that is large enough to hold your pudding basin, with a tight fitting lid.
If you have a small trivet you can place it in the bottom of the pan, or you can do like me and fashion your own using a canning jar ring and some balls of foil.
The pudding basin gets set on top of this and boiling water gets poured down inside the saucepan just to come up 3/4 of the way of the sides of the pudding basin.
Tightly covered, the saucepan is then put on a low heat and the pudding simmers away for about 4 1/2 hours. Make sure you check it periodically and top it up with more boiling water as needed. You don't want it boiling dry.
At the end of that time, remove the pudding basin and let it cool on a rack overnight. Once it is cold you can remove the old wrappings and wrap it with clean new wrappings and then store it in a dark, cool and dry place until Christmas Day! Instructions for re-heating are in the recipe.
And there you have it . . . . Christmas Pudding!
*Christmas Pudding*
Serves 6 to 7
It
wouldn't be Christmas without one. I try to make mine in November so
that it is nice and matured by the time Christmas rolls around.
(You can serve it with Brandy Butter, Brown Sugar Sauce, Cream, Custard, etc.)
This was fun. I hope you will give it a go and make your own Christmas Pudding this year. It's really not that hard to do, and when you make your own, you know exactly what has gone into it! Bon Appetite!
I recently had the good fortune to have a whole bunch of brioche bread that didn't get eaten before it went stale . . . you might be asking yourself, why on earth would that be considered fortunate??
I mean, brioche is so rich and moist and delicious, surely one would want to eat it when it was at it's best !!!
And yes . . . we do . . . but . . .
I also happen to know that as scrummy as brioche is when it's fresh . . . . it makes an even scrummier bread pudding!
Especially in this version which has tasty cubes of brioche bread, mixed together with sweet bits of apricot that have been steeped in Lady Grey Tea, with hints of bergamot, orange and lemon . . .
Combine that with a rich custard containing whole milk, cream, eggs and the zest of orange and lemon and you have something really special indeed. We like ours warm with a cold quenelle of creme fraiche sitting atop . . . but it is equally as delicious and scrummy with some creme anglaise, or vanilla pod ice cream, which is really only frozen vanilla custard after all . . .
Enjoy!!
*Apricot Bread Pudding*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
A delicious bread pudding with the added surprise of sweet apricots that have been steeped in Lady Grey Tea.
8 ounces of stale brioche bread, crusts removed and
cut into cubes (a scant 4 cups)
1 Lady Grey Tea bag
250ml cup boiling water (1 cup)
3 ounces of dried apricots, cut into small bits (1/2 cup packed)
2 large free range eggs
1 large free range egg yolk
250ml whole milk (1 cup)
375ml double cream (1 1/2 cups)
150g caster sugar (3/4 cup)
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
Put the tea bag and the apricots into a heat proof bowl. Add the boiling water and allow to steep for 10 minutes. At the end of that time, remove the tea bag and strain the apricots, discarding any liquid. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolk and 2 ounces of the milk together in a bowl. Place the remaining milk into a saucepan along with the cream, sugar, lemon and orange zests and vanilla. Bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Gradually pour this over the egg mixture, whisking constantly until completely combined. Strain this thru a wire mesh sieve into a bowl. Gently stir in the brioche cubes and the drained apricots. Cover and place in the
Inglis Refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
The next day when you are ready to cook it, pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.. Butter six ramekins well. Divide the pudding mixture evenly amongst them. Place on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and almost set. Serve warm with some creme anglaise or creme fraiche spooned on top. Delicious!
Cooking in The Cottage today a delicious Cheeseburger Spaghetti Pie!
Hi everyone! I thought it would be really fun today to share a few simple ideas and recipes for desserts for the holidays. These are all very easy desserts to make. Delicious and yet uncomplicated!
You know me, I am all about getting in and out of the kitchen as quickly as I can with the least amount of mess and fuss necessary. We are all very busy during the holiday season but we all also want to serve food that looks and tastes good to our families!
These desserts are perfect for this time of year. Simple to make. Most can be made ahead of time and all are quite delicious. Whether you choose to serve them on the festive day itself or on the days surrounding the big day, one thing is certain, everyone of these is engineered for your utmost pleasure and enjoyment!!!
PEAR AND GINGER TRIFLE - This is a really simple dessert to make. You can increase the numbers or decrease very easily as desired. You want to use a good store bought ginger cake/loaf for this.
Layered with tinned pears, Eau de Vie (pear brandy, optional), custard and whipped cream. It doesn't get tastier or easier than this simple dessert.
SALTED CARAMEL PAVLOVA - I think Pavlova's have to be one of the easiest desserts going! This one is no exception. Its incredibly lush and rich and delicious.
With its crisp meringue base with that lovely marshmallow-like insides, topped with billowing whipped cream and topped with a mix of caramel and chocolate drizzles as well as caramelized almonds, this simple dessert elicits oohs and aahs every time I serve it!
MINCEMEAT AND APPLE PUDDING - A layer of sweet cooked apple is topped with a rich mincemeat cake batter prior to baking to perfection.
Served warm with either warm custard sauce, lashings of heavy cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this always goes down a real treat!
BABY STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKES - This is a personal favorite and something I baked often for dinner parties when I cooked at the Manor.
One of the reasons I love it so much is that you can totally bake the cakes ahead of time, simply napping them with the sticky toffee sauce and reheating when it is time to serve. Of course you will want to serve lashings of cream with these for the ultimate taste experience!
CHRISTMAS GINGERBREAD ROLL - What could be nicer than a sweet spiced gingerbread cake rolled around a lush lemon and cream filling.
Your kitchen will SMELL like Christmas while the cake part is baking. Don't let the idea of making a rolled cake intimidate you. This is very easy to make and soooo delicious!
FESTIVE APPLE DUMPLINGS WITH SPICED CREME ANGLAISE - Mincemeat stuffed apples are baked in a wrapping of puff pastry until nice and soft.
Served warm with a lush spicy custard sauce, these always go down a real treat, and they are very simple to make as well. These are simply beautiful.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING SUNDAES - Crumbled Christmas pudding, warmed up with some mulled wine and layered in glass dishes with a good Vanilla Ice cream. Toasted almonds are sprinkled on top.
Don't let the simplicity of this fool you into thinking its not something special!
VANILLA, LEMON & CARDAMOM PUDDING - Something incredibly beautiful happens to a simple vanilla pudding when you add the flavours of cardamom and lemon. It becomes WOW!
Served with a waffle cookie or two and this is a really special dessert that you can totally make ahead of time as you wish. The less stress involved on the day the better I say!
VANILLA SAUCED BREAD PUDDING - This is a delicious pudding. Its studded with plenty of fruit and nuts.
Included is the recipe for a deliciously rich vanilla sauce which you spoon over when serving. Recipe can be doubled easily.
TRADITIONAL ENGLISH TRIFLE - This is what I think I am making this year. My family have never had it and I think its something they would enjoy!
You can totally make it the day ahead, ready to serve, chilled from the refrigerator on the day. I have never had anyone turn down a bowl of this!
So there you have it. Ten deliciously perfect desserts to serve during the holidays, be it on the big day itself, or just a day when you have cause for celebration! All simple and easy to make. All very festive, and all delicious! It doesn't get much better than this!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons