I had some stale bread that needed using up today, along with some bananas that were ripening. I knew I could use two of the bananas up in another kind of bake, but I wanted to do something different with the one.
I am not a big bread eater most of the time. I only ever rarely eat it, and then it is always whole wheat, and usually as toast. I had bought this loaf of white bread when Eileen and Tim were here one day because they only eat white bread.
If I had a large freezer, I simply would have frozen it to use another time, but alas . . . I only have the top of my refrigerator freezer at this point in time. I have given the birds lots of my bread over the past few months.
Today I thought I could use at least some of this to make some sort of dessert and with the banana involved, a chocolate and banana bread pudding came to mind. And why not!
I wish you could have seen this when it first came out of the oven. The bread and custard had all souffled up and looked like a pretty flower.
All puffy and tall, golden brown. Buttery golden brown. Alas, what goes up usually comes down in a very short time so I was unable to get a photograph. You will just have to take my word for it!
It was indeed, extremely pretty. I love recipes like this one, where you can use up things you have in your house. I hate waste.
Bread puddings and the like are the perfect use for stale bread, as is French toast. A bread pudding is actually like a baked French toast in almost every way.
Or you could say French toast is fried bread pudding. Its all in how you look at it I guess!
Today I used Villagio Classic Italian White Bread. The slices were nice and thick. Brioche would also work very well. Mmmm . . . especially chocolate chip brioche, but I digress.
This is a bread and butter pudding, in that the slices of bread are buttered on one side before layering them in the dish. I cut them in half and used a glass pie dish, placing half of them in buttered side up, and sprinkled with cinnamon
They looked like a flower laying there in the pie dish. I covered the first layer of bread with sliced banana. Not too thin, each slice being about 1/3 of an inch thick. Then I sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chips over top.
Bananas and chocolate go so well together. I wouldn't use milk chocolate here. It would be too sweet with the banana. Just my opinion.
I thought semi sweet would work much better. Trust me on this.
I placed the remaining half slices of bread over top of the banana and chocolate chips, again sprinkling them with ground cinnamon.
I placed them slightly askew from the bottom layer so that there were no real gaps right through to the bottom of the dish if that makes sense.
A rich custard then gets poured over top. This, too, is simple. Just beaten milk and cream, eggs and some brown sugar.
I used full fat milk. I mean there is cream, so what the heck. Why not use whole! Desserts are suppose to be a tad bit indulgent.
You want to whisk these together until the sugar melts completely into the liquid. You could add a touch of vanilla if you wanted to, or a bit of vanilla and lemon, but I did not.
Pour this over the bread, making sure that every slice gets some on it.
I then used the back of my wooden spoon to smush them down a tiny bit. Making sure each and every scrap of the bread was soaked or soaking.
Submerge it as well as you can, but don't compact it, if that makes sense. (And I hope that it does!)
I didn't bother putting any chocolate chips on top. I knew that the oven temperature would only burn them, or cause they to dry out too much. I don't like chocolate chips that are burnt and dried out.
I also don't think any other kind of chocolate chip would work as well as the semi sweet. You could chop up semi sweet chocolate or even dark chocolate, but make sure it is a good quality chocolate.
I sprinkled it with a final but of freshly grated nutmeg and then just left it sitting for half an hour so that a lot of the custard could be absorbed. Makes for a lovely soufflé like finish, in my opinion.
This is a pudding that loves to be served with lashings of something creamy. Vanilla ice cream. Pouring cream. Custard sauce.
I decided to serve it with lashings of cream. Yes, there is only me. Don't judge me, lol. I already judge myself.
This is pretty indulgent and difficult to resist. A once in a blue moon treat perhaps.
My problem is I have far too many of those. Blue moon treats that is, but at this stage of my life, I figure a bit of indulgence every now and than won't hurt.
Do you know what you can do with leftover bread and butter pudding? Pop it into the refrigerator and let it get really cold. Then cut it into slabs.
Fry the slabs in hot butter and then serve it hot, drizzled with maple syrup, with some berries scattered over top for breakfast. Just saying. Not that I am going to do that.
But a gal can dream can't she? Dreams cost nothing. Enjoy!
Banana Bread Pudding
Yield: 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 Mininactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 19 M
You can use Brioche bread for this delicious pudding or ordinary white bread. Delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream, pouring cream or custard sauce. Simply double the ingredients to serve six.
Ingredients
- Softened butter to butter the bread and grease the casserole dish
- 5 thick slices of bread, you can leave the crusts on
- 1 banana, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 TBS semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
- 1/3 cup (80ml) double cream
- 1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar
- pinch of grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Butter all of your bread slices on one side and cut in half through the middle. Butter a 9 inch pie dish.
- Place half of the bread slices in the bottom of the dish, butter side up. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon. Slice the banana over top and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Top with the remaining slices of bread, butter side up, and sprinkle with the remainder of the cinnamon.
- Whisk together the milk, cream, egg and brown sugar until the sugar melts into the mixture and dissolves. Pour this evenly over the bread in the pan, making sure everything gets covered. Push the bread down into the milk mixture with the back of a wooden spoon if you need to.
- Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on top and leave to sit for half an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Bake the bread pudding in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until risen, golden brown and the custard has set. (A knife inserted half way between the side and the center should come out clean.)
- Serve warm and spooned out into bowls.
One major weakness of mine is cake. Another one is lemon. Combine the two things and I fear I am totally a lost cause. Can. Not. Resist.
Especially when it is a cake that is as delicious as this Lemon Buttermilk Loaf Cake. With its full on lemon flavors and scrumptious lemon glaze topping, this cake spells winner with capital "W" "I" "N" "N" "E" "R!" Make no mistake about it!
I have never met a lemon cake I did not love and this one is no exception. It is a well known fact that buttermilk makes cakes that are wonderfully moist and rich.
There are a lot of lemon buttermilk cake recipes out there, but most are baked in a Bundt tin. This one differs in that it is baked in a loaf pan, and it makes one loaf, not two, or three, etc. Just one incredibly moist and lemony cake.
One 8 by 4 inch loaf. Enough to serve 4 really hungry people, or two hungry people with leftovers, or 8 peckish people. It all depends on if you are peckish, hungry, or you just adore lemon cake.
If you are here, I gather you are at least one of those. But I am pretty sure you at least love lemon cake.
If you have lemons, butter, buttermilk, sugar, eggs, flour and a few odds and sundries like vanilla, baking powder and baking soda, then you already have the makings of this lush, moist and delicious cake!
I used to belong to a baking group, called Tuesdays with Dorie. In that group we used to bake one recipe a week, together as a group from Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking with Dorie. Sadly I had to leave all of my Dorie Greenspan books back in the UK last autumn.
I actually learned a lot from baking her recipes however. One thing was that to get a real depth of lemon flavor into baked goods, it helps to rub the lemon zest into the sugar.
Just measure out your sugar, add your freshly grated zest and start rubbing. Before you know it your nose and your kitchen will be filled with the lovely fragrance of lemon, and your bake will be filled with abundant lemon flavours.
This single act helps to release all of the natural oils in the lemon skins/zest and imparts a lovely flavor to the cake. I have done it ever since I learned it from Dorie and have never regretted it. You won't either.
Do you wash your lemons before you zest them? I do. You never know what lurks on the skins of your lemons. Not to be indelicate or anything, but lemons are grown in hot dry climates for the most part, and you know what proliferates in hot dry climates? Flies.
Those clusters of little black or brown dots you may see here and there on your lemon skins . . . fly dirt. SO I wash my lemons. Unwaxed, waxed, no matter. Also there are pesticides which are used.
So I just give the skins a good wash under cold running water and use a veggie bush to give them a bit of a scrub and then dry them with a soft dry cloth.
I could be wrong of course . . . but what then if I am right. Its not a chance I like to take. Mind you, when I was a child I thought banana seeds were spider eggs, lol. I didn't eat a banana for years on that presumption, lol.
Do use real lemon juice in this cake. Please don't use the little squeeze lemon bottles of reconstituted juice. It just is not the same. There is a huge difference in flavor.
It might be re-constituted from real lemon juice, but there's other stuff in there. I can smell it and I can taste it. Just don't. Real, fresh lemon juice is the way to go.
How else are you going to get that lovely fresh zest anyways? Unless you use fresh lemons. Eh?
There is something magical about buttermilk that renders every baked good it touches deliciously moist. Some sort of chemical reaction. I am no chemist, but I love buttermilk anything. Cakes, cookies, loaves, pies, biscuits, breads . . .
All are fabulous. If you don't have any buttermilk, you can make a suitable substitute by adding 1 TBS of lemon juice to a measuring cup and adding the amount of liquid buttermilk you need in whole milk to take its place. Let it sit for five minutes to clabber.
Vinegar will do the same thing. I used to have to do this a lot in the UK because I couldn't always find buttermilk. I don't know what was up with that.
Ireland is steeped in buttermilk, but in the UK? Largely an unsung hero. If you could find it at all, it was only ever in 1 cup sized pots. I am so grateful to be back in the land of buttermilk.
Have you ever marinated your chicken in buttermilk before you cook it? Oh boy, but does it ever make for tender chicken.
One of my favorite chicken recipes is this Buttermilk Chicken. Oh boy but it is some juicy and delicious. I haven't made it in a while. Time to make it again methinks.
Even more lemon flavor comes from the lush lemon glazed which gets spooned over top of the cake. Its just icing sugar, cream and lemon juice, oh and a bit of lemon zest.
The cake is lovely without it, but the glaze turns lovely into magnificent. Devine!! Lush!!! Beautiful!!!!
If you have time to bake only one cake this weekend, let it be this one. You won't regret it. I can promise you that!
You could inject even more lemon flavor into the cake by brushing it with a simple lemon syrup when it comes out of the oven. I sometimes do. Simply warm together 1/4 cup of sugar (50g), 1/4 cup of water (60ml) and 1 1/2 TBS of lemon juice, until the sugar completely dissolves.
Using a pastry brush, brush it on top of the lemon loaf, letting it soak in and brushing it on some more, repeating until you have used it all up.
There is no two ways about it. This is one fabulous lemon cake. Enjoy!!
Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Yield: One 8 X 4 inch loaf
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min
This beautifully moist loaf cake is bursting with lovely lemon flavors1
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 (210 grams)cups all purpose plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1/2 cup (120grams) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (195 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 TBS freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large free range eggs
- 3 fluid ounces of buttermilk
- 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
For the glaze:
- 3/4 cup (95 gram) icing sugar, sifted
- 1/2 TBS heavy cream
- 1/2 TBS fresh lemon zest, plus some for dusting over the top
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter your loaf tin really well and line the bottom with baking paper. Set aside.
- Rub the lemon zest for the cake into the sugar in a bowl until it is really fragrant. Add the butter & vanilla. Beat until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Whisk together the buttermilk and lemon juice.
- Beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, alternating wih the buttermilk, until everything is fully combined and all of the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Scrape into the prepared loaf tin. Bang the tin on the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. The top should also spring back when lightly touched.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk the icing sugar, cream 1/2 TBS of lemon zest and lemon juice together until smooth and of a drizzling consistency. Spoon over the cake and then sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon more of lemon zest.
- Cut into slices to serve.
I knew my sister was going to be working late today. I know what it is like to slog all day at a job and then have to come home and cook a meal for people. I decided I was going to put together a casserole and bring it over to them so that she could just bang it into the oven.
I had bookmarked a casserole I had seen over on Smart School House for Tortilla Chip Enchiladas. Lazy enchiladas with tortilla chips. No faffing about. I liked that idea.
I've got a lot of work on at the moment as well, albeit from home.
My father usually eats supper at my sister's place every night. He's not one for spicy food, so the menu usually has to be pretty tame.
Now that the lockdown restrictions have eased a tiny bit he has been meeting his lady friends for Fish & Chips on Wednesday nights. I knew that with just Cindy and Dan being there I could pull out the stops a tiny bit.
What I really liked about the basic recipe was that it was pretty much a store cupboard recipe. It used things I almost always have in my larder and refrigerator. You could also either use beef or chicken in it.
I happened to have some cooked pot roast in the refrigerator, which I knew would be perfect for this. Simply shredded it would work well with everything else.
I also had a bag of plain lightly salted tortilla chips which were put to good use. Red enchilada sauce. Tomato Salsa, cheese . . .
The only thing I didn't have basically was the canned green chilies. They are not readily available locally in my small town, although you can get them a bit further afield. I could get fresh jalapeno chilies however.
You want the skins to really blister. Once they were done, I folded them up in the tinfoil I was roasting them on and let them sweat for about 5 minutes.
After that it was simply a matter of using a knife to slip the skins off and scrape out the seeds. I did extra so I could have them in the freezer.
Just roll the up tightly like a cigar (skinned and seeded) and wrap tightly in some plastic cling film, like a little sausage. Pop into a zip lock baggie and then whenever I need a few green chilies I have them. Just slice off coins with a sharp knife and chop.
When you are a single person, living alone, you have to plan ahead. It just made sense for me to do this. I used to do it in the UK because you couldn't get tinned green chilies at all there. With a little bit of effort, I now have some ready and at my beck and call.
The casserole itself was really very easy to make. Just shred the beef and mix it together with some ground cumin, the enchilada sauce, the salsa, green chilies and cheese. Oh, and the broken tortillas.
Don't break up the tortilla chips too much. You want them to be smaller than in the bag, but you don't want them to be ground. I also broke my rule of thumb and used already grated cheese today.
I figured in a casserole such as this, it wouldn't matter all that much. I used a Tex Mex blend which contained cheddar and spicy jack cheeses. Perfect.
One thing about using ground spices such as cumin. If you toast them first in a hot skillet you can really bring out the flavors, enhancing them nicely. About 30 seconds or so in a really hot skillet does the trick.
It really doesn't take very long at all to stir everything together. Then it is merely a matter of scraping it into your buttered dish, tipping it with more cheese, covering it and baking it. Easy peasy.
I also did a very tiny one for myself to enjoy. The instructions and amounts I have given here are for that smaller one, which makes 2 servings, or one if you are extra hungry.
I wasn't. Extra hungry that is. I will enjoy the other half tomorrow.
One thing which I did differently was to uncover the casserole near to the end of the bake time, sprinkle a few more tortilla chips on top for some crunch and a bit more cheese.
I don't know of any casserole on earth that doesn't become better for having had something crisp and crunchy sprinkled on top. Its almost a rule of thumb for me, to sprinkle a bit of crunch on top. I haven't had any complaints yet.
Cut into squares it went down a real treat. I added a dollop of sour cream on top and some chopped spring onions. Oh, and a thin slice of the roasted green chili.
Doesn't that look tasty? Doesn't that look appealing? Truth be told, in looking at those photos I may not be able to wait until tomorrow to eat the other half! I am such a glutton!
I hope Cindy and Dan enjoyed their as much as I did mine. All you need on the side is perhaps a salad, maybe some guacamole. If you are really hungry, some Mexican rice.
This was really, really good. Loved also that it was quick and easy to make. If you love Tex Mex flavors and are looking for a simple, easy and quick supper, that is also delicious, you need look no further. This fits the bill on all counts!
Cooked Beef? Chicken? Pork even . . . its a great way to use up any of those! I promise! Failing that just use ground beef, chicken or turkey and fry it first. 👍👍
Tortilla Chip Enchiladas
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
You can make these tasty store cupboard enchiladas with either leftover shredded chicken or beef. They are quite simply delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 grams) shredded cooked beef or chicken
- 1 1/2 cups (40 grams) broken tortilla chips
- 1 1/2 cups (350 grams) grated Tex-mex cheese blend
- 14 ounces (395 grams) red enchilada sauce
- 2 TBS chopped roasted green chilies
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup (60 gams) medium tomato salsa
You will also need:
- 3 TBS crushed chips
- 1 TBS grated cheese
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- sour cream to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. butter a 7 by 4 inch casserole dish and set aside.
- Shred your beef or chicken in a bowl. Add the green chilies, salsa and cumin and mix thoroughly. Add the broken tortilla chips and enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese, mixing everything gently together. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese, making sure you cover the tortilla mixture completely.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and top with the remaining crushed chips and cheese. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until the cheese on top has melted.
- Divide in half and serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped spring onion.
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