This delicious pudding is proof that you can create something totally indulgent and irresistible with just a few simple ingredients.

 

All you need is fruit, day old bread, softened butter, and some sugar.
Simple ingredients that everyone has in their home.  Put together in a simple way.  Anyone can make it, no real skill is involved.

 

So simple and easy to do that even a child could do it with supervision.  If you can butter bread . . . you can make this.



Softened and sweetened fruit, layered between buttered slices of bread . . . dusted with demerara sugar for extra crunch and sweetness . . .

 

Then baked until the bread is golden brown and crisply moreish . . .

 

Serve warm with lashings of cream or custard.

 

This is not a keeper, unless you are a fan of soggy bread, but that is so not a problem as you will have no leftovers.  Trust me on this.



 *Blackberry & Apple Charlotte*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

The best blackberries for pudding and desserts are the ones you pick early in the season.  This is when they are the juiciest.  Older berries have a lot of seeds.  I always pick mine early and then freeze them so that I can make delicious pudding such as this simple one all the way through the winter!  Other berries such as black currants are nice done this way as well.

2 large cooking apples (Bramley)
caster sugar to taste
340g of blackberries (fresh or frozen, about 3/4 pound)
150g of softened butter (2/3 cup)
6 to 8 medium thick slices of day old bread, crusts removed
demerara sugar to sprinkle

 

Peel, core and roughly chop the apples.  Put them into a large saucepan along with 1 TBS of water.  Place over low heat.  Cook gently for about 10 minutes, until the apples are softened, but not collapsed into applesauce.   Add sugar to taste, then gently fold in the blackberries.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. 

Butter the slices of bread well on one side.  Using 2/3 of the bread, line a 2 pint pie dish, placing them butter side down and cutting them to fit.  Spread the apple and blackberry mix over this.  Cut the remaining bread into rectangles and place on top of the fruit, buttered side up, covering it completely.  Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes, or until the bread topping is golden brown and crisp.  Serve immediately with "lashings" of cream or warm custard!

Simple desserts like this make the Toddster a very happy man.  That makes me a very happy woman.  Win/Win!

(Waiting to go into the oven.)

The Toddster and I discovered a 99p store the other day at our local trading estate. I am sure it's been there for a few months, but we had never been in it until the other day.   Everything in the shop is only 99pence, and not a penny more, and in some cases, even less.  There is a lot of tat in there admittedly,  but there's also lots of name brand stuff in there too.  It's quite amazing.  We ended up going twice this week.

I picked up packages of waffles the other day, with 8 in a pack for . . . you guessed it, 99p a pack.  I couldn't resist, so I bought several packs . . . and then when I got them home, I thought . . . what am I going to do with all these waffles???

 
(Fresh out of the oven.)

It's crazy what you find yourself buying when it's a bargain.  The number of times I've purchased all the buy one get one free deals at the grocery store is nobody's business . . . things I wasn't even shopping for, but . . . meh . . . it's free!  I'm trying to do better with that now, truly I am.  It's not really a bargain if it's something you weren't going to buy in the first place!!

 
(Dusted with Icing Sugar)

So anyways, I found myself with several packs of the waffles and we can only eat so many . . . and so I sat there and tried to think of something I could make with some of them that wasn't "waffle-ee!"  They are kind of like a cross between cake and bread . . . and pancakes . . . perfect dessert material, and so . . .

 

I made a type of bread pudding with them.  Not just any bread pudding though.  You know me . . . I like things to be a bit different, kind up charged up if I can.



Last month I bought a HUGE bag of dried cranberries at Costco . . . another one of those deals I couldn't resist . . . we love cranberries and I like the dried ones in my morning oats from time to time.  So I decided that I would try to incorporate some of them into this pudding.



Cranberries and white chocolate go really well together, and so I decided to use some white chocolate as well . . . and well . . . my favourite type of sweet loaf is Cranberry and orange, and so I used this flavor as well.  I macerated the cranberries in Orange Liqueur and orange juice to plump them up a bit.  Fabulous!

 

Altogether this worked very, very well.  Almost too well.  I haven't been able to keep my fork out of it ever since it came out of the oven.  I keep digging in for . . . just one more bite.  It seriously needs to be locked up!

 

In other words . . . to die for.   I think you'll find I'm right when I say it is pretty near impossible to resist.  This may be the best "bread" pudding I've ever made!!



But don't just take my word for it.  Try it out for yourself . . . just  remember . . . you've been warned!



*Cranberry and White Chocolate Waffle Pudding*
serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

This may be the best pudding you have ever baked or eaten.  You have been warned.  This is very hard to resist.

450g of waffles (about 14)
150g of dried sweetened cranberries (1 cup)
1 TBS orange flavored liqueur
200g of good quality white chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
55g of golden caster sugar (1/4 cup)
1 heaped TBS of plain flour
3 large free range eggs
the juice and finely grated zest of one orange
500ml of double cream (2 cups)
sifted icing sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Butter a medium sized glass oven dish.  Set aside.

Put the cranberries into a microwave proof bowl, along with the orange liqueur and orange juice.  Heat on high for one minute.  Stir and set aside to infuse for 10 minutes.  Drain the cranberries, reserving the juices.

Cut the waffles into 1 inch cubes.  Place half of the waffle cubes in the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with half of the  infused cranberries and the chopped chocolate.  Top with the remaining waffle cubes.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped chocolate and cranberries.  Drizzle the juices over all.

Whisk together the flour, orange zest and sugar in a bowl to combine.  Whisk in the eggs and cream until thoroughly combined.  Pour this mixture evenly over the waffles.  Gently press the waffles down to help absorption.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Bake in the heated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Dust with icing sugar and serve warm, spooned out into bowls along with cream or ice cream.

There are some lovely looking cauliflowers in the shops at the moment. This is the season when those lovely tightly knit curded plentiful heads are in abundance, fresh and localy grown. A member of the Brassica family, it is one of my favourites and is at it's very best at this time of year. You can also get the Italian variety, or Romanesco, which whilst green in colour and very ornamental looking, is quite similar in flavour and texture.



You want to look for nice, heavy heads of cauli's, with fresh green leaves, not leaves that look wilted, yellowing or dry. Your cauli's should have fresh looking white or cream coloured curds, with no sign of mildew or rot, and the buds should be tight and crisp, and not at all rubbery. A rubbery cauliflower is one that's been picked for some time and not been kept properly stored! Pass any that are not perfect by! (I'd ruther have frozen cauli's than one of those!)

Cauli's can be kept loosely wrapped and stored in the refrigerator. A relatively fresh one from the garden or market will keep for up to two weeks, properly stored in the refrigerator, whole . . . or about a week, if broken up into florets.



Sweet and nutty we just love this vegetable.  We have it in soups and curries, lovely cauliflower cheese's and gratins, stir fries, and raw with creamy dips. In any way shape or form, if cauliflower is on the menu, that is a happy day for us! I've never tried to grow my own, but may do one year, you just never know!



This is a lovely soup which perfectly showcases the lovely flavor of this beautiful vegetable. If you are a fan of cauliflower, then you will love this.  It's easy to make and also freezes well,  without the brioche crumbs.  In the freezer it will keep well for up to 3 months. (Defrost completely and then re-heat. You can make fresh crumbs while it is heating up.) The crumb topping adds a delicious crunch, but you must eat it right away before the soup makes them sog up.




*Cauliflower Soup with Brioche Crumbs*
Serves 6 as a starter, 4 as a main
Printable Recipe


This is a very simple soup which really showcases the lovely flavour of Cauliflower. I think the Brioche Crumbs are the perfect topping. It is quite simply, a lovely dish.

50g butter (1/4 cup)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
500ml hot vegetable stock (2 cups)
300ml whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
300ml single cream (1 1/4 cup)
sea salt and white pepper to taste
1 small brioche roll
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 TBS finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley



First make the Brioche Crumbs. Pre-heat your grill to high. Place the torn Brioche roll into the food processor along with the garlic. Blitz to form bread crumbs. Spread the crumbs out on a baking tray and then place under the grill. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring from time to time and keeping a close watch on them, until toasted and golden brown. Remove from the grill and toss together with the chopped parsley in a bowl. Set aside while you make the soup.

Place the butter in a large saucepan. Melt over medium low heat. Add the onion and saute for several minutes, stirring, until softened. Do not allow to colour. Add the cauliflower florets and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the hot stock and the milk. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a further 5 to 6 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Using your stick blender, if you have one, blend until smooth. Otherwise you will have to use either a food processor or a regular blender. (Be very careful as hot things in blenders and food processors can be quite explosive! I always cover mine with a towel to be on the safe side and also only blend in small batches.) Return the soup to the saucepan, stir i nthe cream and then heat through. Season to taste with some sea salt and white pepper.

To serve, divide equally amongst heated soup bowls, and sprinkle with the Brioche Crumbs. Serve immediately.



This soup was the perfect way to test my new Breville 2 in 1 hand blender which was sent to me from Littlewoods.  I have long been a fan of the hand held stick blender and when I was asked to test this one out I jumped at the chance.  Stick blenders are so much more convenient to use than regular blenders, and a lot easier to keep clean.



This Breville 3 in 1 hand blender is like the Cadillac of hand blenders.   With a powerful 400w motor, it has the oomph and strength of a professional model hand held blender.  It has two speeds, and with it's professional quality stainless steel leg it's very hygenic.



It comes with a nicely sized 500ml plastic beaker, which is ideal for blending smoothies and liquids and making salad dressings.  Today I used it right in the soup pot to blitz my cauliflower soup to an ultra smooth puree, lickety split.

 

It also comes with a 500ml chopper attachment, which is perfect for chopping meats, herbs, nuts and vegetables.  This is going to be a real favourite of mine.  I have been wanting to buy myself a small size food processor for a time now, for when I only want to chop an onion or a few odd bits, without having to drag out the whole huge food processor.



This nice piece of kit came in very handy the other day when I was making my cookie crumbs for the parsnip tarts I made.  It worked like a dream and in no time at all and with very little hassle I had perfect cookie crumbs.  And it was a breeze to clean up after.

I also used it today for the brioche crumbs for the soup and the garlic.



Another wonderful feature is the stainless steel whisk attachment which is perfect for whipping up some cream or egg whites.  Not strong enough to beat cake batters I don't think, although it would probably also work very well with pancake or Yorkshire pudding batters as they are quite thin.  Just make sure you do them in a deep bowl, or you will end up with it all over the kitchen (as I did today).  It's a pretty powerful little whisk!

The handle is very easy to hold onto as well, with a comfortable rubber grip.  Easy to operate and comfortable to use, this Breville hand blender has a powerful 400watt motor, two speed levels and a detachable end for easy cleaning.  I give this a 10 out of 10 for ease of use, performance, looks and ease of cleaning.

Many thanks to Littlewoods for having sent me this beautiful piece of kit!

The Breville 3 in 1 hand blender

selling for £89

I've been slack and idle today. We had our end of summer Ward Picnic today and so I didn't really cook anything! (I know! What am I like!!) Anyways I thought you would enjoy a delicious roundup today of my all time favourite end of summer desserts. As you have probably begun to notice yourselves . . . Summer is definitely on the wane and these tasty morsels made with fresh local fruit won't be on the menu for much longer! Enjoy them while you still can!

Oh, yes there is a courgette loaf in there as well . . . but really how can you not end summer without a glut of those tasty little devils! A courgette loaf or two or three are definitely on the menu as well!!

There's also a sneaky dessert or two which use the early autumn fruits. Deliciously enjoyable anytime!




*Summer Pudding*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This delicious pudding is one of my favourite things about summer. Tart . . . sweet . . . this pudding contains all the goodness of summer in every mouthful. Plan ahead as it needs to sit overnight to set up.

750g/1lb 14oz mixed summer fruit
(such as raspberries, red, white and blackcurrants, tayberries, loganberries, blackberries, cherries and blueberries)
185g/6½oz caster sugar
1 medium loaf good-quality white bread, slightly stale
2 tbsp cassis or blackcurrant cordial
creme fraiche for serving

You will need a 2 pint pudding basin.



Place all the fruit in a pan, removing any stalks as necessary. Add the sugar and then heat and cook them over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, only until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit begins to give up some of it's juices. Please be careful not to over cook them. Stir in the cassis or blackcurrant cordial. Set aside while you get the bread ready.

Trim off all the crusts from the bread and cut the bread into thin slices. Cut one round slice out of the bread to fit the bottom of the basin and place it into the basin. Line the pudding basin with the slices of bread, overlapping them and sealing well by pressing any edges together. Fill in any gaps with small pieces of bread, so that no juice can get through when you add the fruit. spoon all of the fruit and its juices into the pudding basin. Trim the tips of bread from around the edge. Cover the top of the fruit with more wedges of bread. Place the pudding basin on a plate to collect any juices. Find a saucer that fits neatly inside the bowl, and place it on top to cover the upper layer of bread, then weigh the saucer down with weights - unopened tin cans come in very handy for this.. Let it cool, then place in the fridge overnight.

The next day, remove the weights and the saucer. Run a thin blade around the edges, then invert the basin onto a shallow serving plate. Serve, cut into slices or spooned out with plenty of Creme Fraiche.



*Crunchy Blueberry Tart*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Imagine a tasty oatmeal cookie crust, filled with tart blueberries and topped with an oat crumble. This is to die for and quite simply the most delicious blueberry tart I have ever eaten. Adapted from a recipe in the book, "A Piece Of Cake," by Leila Lindholm.

For the crust:
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
6 1/4 ounces of plain flour
4 3/4 ounces of caster sugar
2 1/2 ounces rolled oats
For the Filling:
9 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup of blueberry jam
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 TBS cornflour
For the Topping:
3 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces rolled oats
4 3/4 ounces caster sugar
Creme Fraiche for serving



Begin by making the crust. Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Place the butter in a saucepan and melt. Whisk together the flour, sugar and oats. Stir this mixture into the melted butter, stirring well to completely combine. Press the dough into a 10 inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the topping, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the oats and sugar. Mix together well, and then set aside while you make the filling.

To make the filling, gently stir together the blueberries, jam and balsamic vinegar, mixing well. Stir in the cornflour. Pour this mixture into the oat pastry case.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over top and then place the tart onto a baking tray. Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool. Remove the side from the pan before serving. Serve cut into slices with some creme fraiche for spooning over if desired.

DELICIOUS!



*Courgette Loaf*
Makes 2 9X5 inch loaves
Printable Recipe

It just wouldn't be summer without having made at least a couple of courgette loaves. This is an extremely delicious way of using up some of that "glut" in the garden. The inclusion of demerara sugar makes for a very nice crust.

14 ounces plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
11 ounces caster sugar
3 1/2 ounces of demerara sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
7 fluid ounces sunflower oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
13 ounces of grated courgettes, with the skin left on
3 ounces chopped walnuts



Pre-heat the oven to 150*C/300*. Grease and flour two 9 X 5 inch loaf tins. (alternately you can grease them and then line them with baking paper, and grease again)

Sift the flour, salt, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a large bowl. Whisk in both sugars.

Beat the eggs, sunflower oil and vanilla extract together.

Stir the egg mixture and grated courgettes into the dry mixture, mixing until well combined. Stir in the walnuts. Divide between the two prepared loaf tins.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaves comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes or so before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Delicious toasted and served warm with some cold butter.



*Rustic Plum Tart*
Makes one 7 by 11 inch tart
Printable Recipe

I love anything rustic and fuss free. That's why I love this tart so much. Using purchased pastry and a few additional ingredients, you can have a delicious plum tart cooling, ready to be eaten in less than an hour. I love the marzipan that lies like a tasty secret underneath the plums. This will have them coming back for more.

1 package of ready rolled short crust pastry, all butter, thawed if frozen
3 TBS golden marzipan, cut into pieces
1 TBS plain flour
half a dozen or so purple plums, pitted and cut into thin wedges
2 tsp golden caster sugar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup plum or red currant jam
2 TBS water



Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Unroll your pastry and use it to line a 7 by 11 inch baking tin, allowing the excess to overhang. Sprinkle the bits of marzipan evenly over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle with the flour. Arrange the sliced plums over top of the flour and marzipan, in overlapping rows. Sprinkle with the 2 tsp of sugar. Fold the overhang over the plums, creating a 1 inch free form ragged edge. Sprinkle the edges with the granulated sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the fruit bubbles, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool. In a small saucepan, combine the jam and water. Heat over medium heat until warm. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve, discarding any solids. Brush the warm glaze over the plums in the tart. Allow to cool slightly, before cutting into slices to serve.




*Fresh Plum Crumble*
serves 4
Printable Recipe

I think Plums are one of Todd's and my favourite fruits. Especially during plum season when the trees around here are just dripping with them like little purple jewels. This is one of my favourite ways to prepare them. You get the lovely sweetness of the plums, topped with the sweet and nutty crunch of a delicious streusal. It's just wonderful!

2 pounds pitted and quartered plums
3/4 cup of soft light brown sugar, packed
2 heaped TBS of plain flour
3 TBS of creme de cassis liqueur (If not available you can use fruit juice)

For the Streusal:
3/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup soft light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant oats)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
4 ounces cold butter, cut into cubes

Creme fraiche or clotted cream, for serving



Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Combine the fruit, brown sugar, flour and cassis together in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Set aside.

Measure the flour, white sugar, brown sugar and salt together into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Add the oats and pultz again. Add the butter bits and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. You want the butter to be the size of peas. Add the walnuts and pulse a couple times just to combine. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top of the plum mixture in the baking dish. Place on a baking tray to help prevent a nasty spill in your oven!

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the plums are bubbling and the streusal is nicely browned. Serve warm or at room temperature, spooned into bowls with a dollop of creme fraiche or clotted cream on top of each. (Or ice cream!)



*Frozen Lemon Souffle*
Makes 1 large, or 12 individual souffles
Printable Recipe

This is a fabulous dessert that is not only delicious but impressive. Perfectly light and tasty for after a heavy meal. This contains raw eggs so be careful not to serve it to the very elderly and the very young.

250g shortbread biscuits
50ml butter, melted
4 large eggs, separated
the juice from two large lemons
the finely grated zest from two large lemons
225ml of caster sugar, divided
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
375ml double cream
Lemon peel and black berries to garnish



Crush the shortbread biscuits in the food processor. Mix with the melted butter and blitz once more. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan, or in the bottom of 12 3-inch rings that you have laid out on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and 50ml of the sugar. Blend together well.

In another, but very clean, bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Beat in the cream of tartar and the salt. Continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Whip the cream in another bowl until soft peaks form.

Fold the egg whites and whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture. Spoon into the prepared pan(s). Cover with foil and freeze for at least 8 hours. Allow to soften in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving if you have made a large one. If you made small ones, you can warm the sides of the rings with your hands and push them out carefully. Place on individual plates and garnish with some lemon peel and blackberries.




*Bramley Berry Slump*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

This is so lovely with the sweet blueberries and the tart apples. The hidden surprise of creamy mascarpone cheese really makes it special, as does the crunchy biscuit topping!

2 large Bramley apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3 cups sliced apple)
1 knob of butter
2 small punnets of blueberries (about 2 cups)
3 ounces sugar
8 ounces of mascarpone cheese
For the topping:
3 ounces cold butter, cut into bits
8 ounces self raising flour
2 ounces sugar
the zest of one lemon
150ml of whole milk
To finish:
2 TBS Demerara sugar



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Butter a 1 1/2 litre baking dish. Set aside.

Melt the knob of butter in a nonstick skillet. Add the apples and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften. Add the sugar to the apples along with the blueberries. Mix well, and then tip the whole mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dot with the mascarpone cheese.

Rub the butter into the flour until it is quite crumbly. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together until quite fragrant. Stir into the crumb mixture. Add the milk all at once and stir to combine. Drop on top of the fruit and mascarpone in big blogs, making it look a bit craggy. Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over all. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30- minutes, until crusty and golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before spooning into dessert dishes. Serve warm with custard* or vanilla ice cream* if desired.

*Really you won't need it with the mascarpone cheese, that is unless you are feeling totally hedonistic!



*Caramelized Pears with Mascarpone Cream*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is one of my favourite desserts. I love the subtle flavour of the spices with the sweet creaminess of the pears. I like this much better than any alcohol based recipe. Mascarpone cheese goes with them so perfectly. If this doesn't become one of your favourites, I'll eat my hat!

4 forella pears
(can use larger ones, but they will take a bit longer to cook)
2 TBS butter
2 TBS runny Italian honey
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 star anise, broken in half
2 bruised cardamom pods
1/2 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 TBS brown sugar
the juice of one lemon
To serve:
1/2 cup double cream
1/2 cup of full fat mascarpone cheese
the grated zest of one lemon
2 TBS caster sugar



Peel the pears and then cut them in half, leaving the stems on if possible. Scoop out the centre seeds with a melon baller.

Place the butter and the honey into a large deep and heavy skillet. Melt together and then add the vanilla bean, scraping out the seeds into the mixture. Add the star anise, cardamom pods, and the cinnamon stick. Grate the nutmeg over top. Bring to a boil and once the mixture starts to foam, add the pears, cut side down. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the pears are golden brown on the underside and tender when tested with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove to a serving bowl. Stir the lemon juice and the brown sugar into the pan drippings. Bring to the boil and cook until the mixture is syrupy. Pour over the pears. You can remove the spices if you wish, but I think they look lovely. Just warn your guests not to eat them.

Whisk the mascarpone cheese and double cream together with the sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the lemon zest.

Serve the pears warm with a drizzle of syrup over top and a dollop of the mascarpone cream.

As you know I occasionally get sent a cookbook to test out and review . . . I know . . . it's a hard job but somebody's got to do it!! I'm always more than happy to help out in that way!

This week I was sent the Cookie Doug Lover's Cookbook, by Lindsay Landis. You may already be familiar with her blog, Love and Olive Oil. (Lucky girl to have a publishing deal! Buck up Britain, there's lots of fab food bloggers over here who should have cookbooks published!)

Lindsay has invented the perfect cookie dough. It tastes great. It's egg free and perfectly safe to eat raw. it mixes up quick and easily, and, best of all, you can use it to make dozens of delicious cookie dough creations, from cakes, custards, and pies to candies, brownies, and even granola bars.



Included are recipes for indulgent breakfasts (cookie dough doughnuts!), frozen treats (cookie dough Popsicles!), and outrageous snacks (cookie dough eggrolls! cookie dough fudge! cookie dough pizza!). If your mom ever caught you with your finger in the cookie dough bowl and if raw cookie dough is your secret indulgence . . . then this book is for you!



It's a beautifully laid out book with clear instructions, beautiful full colour photographs to accompany each recipe . . . I love that it is coil bound, so that the pages stay open with no problem at all. It's a great size, not too big, not too small . . . just perfect for having on the countertop next to you while you cook, but it also stands up really well on it's own, which is also a bonus! There are also lots of nice tips on ingredients, equipment, packaging ideas, etc.



As you know I would never review a cookery book without trying out some of the recipes and I have done just that, with fab results! Today I made the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding. We are bread pudding nuts in this house!



It was so easy to put together. All of the instructions were clear and easy to understand. Even though there were three separate components of the recipe . . . it was neither long, nor hard to execute, nor really long winded. It went together lickety split really.



Oh my but it smelled gorgeous when it was cooking . . . I could hardly wait to get it out of the oven. It was just beautiful when it was done.



I did make a few modifications. Because there are only two of us, I cut the recipe down by a third and baked it in two individual pie dishes . . . with each dish being cut in half to serve two people . . . but let me tell you, this was soooo good I could easily have eaten one all by myself. Dangerous stuff indeed!



The only thing that could have made it any better would have been a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream crowning it. I didn't have any. Boo Hoo!! Anyways, if this recipe is any indication of the ease and perfection of the rest of the recipes in this delightful little book, it's a winner winner chicken dinner!!



Buy it NOW! You won't regret it. It has a wonderful variety of recipes to please just about anyone, and would make a nice addition to anyone's collection! I am so glad I didn't make the full recipe . . . this one is pretty hard to resist and reduced my will power to just about N-I-L!!



*Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding*
Serves 12 (I have successfully cut this down to a third of a recipe)
Printable Recipe

Three little words . . . deliciously decadently MOREISH! May I add Nom Nom!!

For the Bread:
1 (1 pound) loaf of brioche or French bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes
(About 7 cups, or 455g)
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted (57g)

For the Custard:
3 large free range eggs
3 cups of half and half (675ml of a mixture of half cream and half milk)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar (95g)
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cookie Dough:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (57g)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (48g)
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
1 TBS half and half or cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour (99g)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (180g, I used Green & Blacks milk chocolate, chopped)

Pre-heat your oven to 200*C./400*F/ gas mark 6. Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and spread them out onto a couple of large rimmed baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Place the bread cubes into a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Whisk together all of the custard ingredients. Pour this over the bread. Let stand for 30 minutes, giving it a turn every so often so that the bread absorbs the custard evenly.

Cream together the butter and sugars for the cookie dough until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cream. Mix in the flour and salt until incorporated. The dough should come together in large clumps. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Crumble half of the cookie dough over the bread in the dish and gently fold together until the dough is covered with custard and evenly distributed. Crumble the remaining dough over top.

Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until the top is puffed and golden brown and a silver knife inserted near the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from the Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis





The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook, ritten by Lindsay Landis and published by Quirk Publishing
ISBN 978-1-59474-564-5

US $18.95/$19.95 Canada/£11.69 UK

Many thanks to Matt and Quirk Publishing for sending me this lovely book to review. I give it 10 out of 10!