Challenge: Create a Winter Weekend Breakfast item with Bay's refrigerated English Muffins.
I immediately decided upon Bread Pudding. I have tasted some out-of-this-world Bread Pudding in my life.
Everything from White Chocolate Bread Pudding to Bacon infused savory Bread Puddings. I have rarely been disappointed, but when I have been it's usually because of the 3-letter word...
A cook's nightmare...
I'll just whisper it in your ear...
dry.
If you know me, one of my greatest fears is making a dish that might possibly be described as "dry." I can't think of a more negative descriptor for food you have lovingly prepared.
Well, yes I can. But I won't go there.
While on the topic of Bread Pudding, I would be remiss if I did not tell you where to go for the
The Bon Ton Cafe. New Orleans.
http://www.thebontoncafe.com/
Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce::
1 loaf French bread
1 quart milk
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
3 tablespoons melted margarine
***Whiskey Sauce***
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
2 ounces bourbon whiskey
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Soak bread in milk.
Crush with hands to make sure milk is soaked through. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla, raisins and stir well. Pour margarine in bottom of heavy 9 x 14 baking pan. Add bread mixture, and bake till very firm, approximately 40 minutes. Cool the pudding, cube it and put in individual dessert dishes. When ready to serve, add whiskey sauce and heat under broiler for a few minutes.
Whiskey Sauce
Cream sugar and butter and cook in a double boiler until very hot and well dissolved. Add well-beaten egg and whip very fast so egg doesn't curdle. Cool and add whiskey
I have made the Bon Ton's recipe several times and it is always a huge crowd-pleaser, but it never quite compares to how it tastes after a bowl of piping hot crawfish etouffee. If you're ever in NOLA, don't pass it up.
I was all ready to make my Bread Pudding and checked the contest website one last time for the official rules, etc. I'm glad I did because someone had beat me to the pudding and had posted their recipe.
Now what's a cook to do? I had my day old English Muffins all stale and ready to go....
I knew what I had to do, I was just scared.
Soufflé
I scrambled to the store for more eggs. I should have gotten two dozen because I learned the hard way that Meringue is finicky, and doesn't like to be ignored.
Geeesh.
So high maintenance.
Second time was the charm, and my bowl of lifeless looking egg whites became the most magical moutainous stiff peaks.
Success.
This time around, I made sure to talk to the Meringue and tell her how beautiful she was lest she "fall" on me again. She was quite lovely, actually.
Once the peaks were stiff, the rest was pretty simple.
The process is just a little tedious.
It's was totally worth it, though.
It was like Bread Pudding with benefits.
The English Muffins performed beautifully--the little air pockets made for some serious soaking up of the custard mixture.
Crush with hands to make sure milk is soaked through. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla, raisins and stir well. Pour margarine in bottom of heavy 9 x 14 baking pan. Add bread mixture, and bake till very firm, approximately 40 minutes. Cool the pudding, cube it and put in individual dessert dishes. When ready to serve, add whiskey sauce and heat under broiler for a few minutes.
Whiskey Sauce
Cream sugar and butter and cook in a double boiler until very hot and well dissolved. Add well-beaten egg and whip very fast so egg doesn't curdle. Cool and add whiskey
I have made the Bon Ton's recipe several times and it is always a huge crowd-pleaser, but it never quite compares to how it tastes after a bowl of piping hot crawfish etouffee. If you're ever in NOLA, don't pass it up.
I was all ready to make my Bread Pudding and checked the contest website one last time for the official rules, etc. I'm glad I did because someone had beat me to the pudding and had posted their recipe.
Now what's a cook to do? I had my day old English Muffins all stale and ready to go....
I knew what I had to do, I was just scared.
Soufflé
I scrambled to the store for more eggs. I should have gotten two dozen because I learned the hard way that Meringue is finicky, and doesn't like to be ignored.
Geeesh.
So high maintenance.
Second time was the charm, and my bowl of lifeless looking egg whites became the most magical moutainous stiff peaks.
Success.
This time around, I made sure to talk to the Meringue and tell her how beautiful she was lest she "fall" on me again. She was quite lovely, actually.
Magical.
Once the peaks were stiff, the rest was pretty simple.
The process is just a little tedious.
It's was totally worth it, though.
It was like Bread Pudding with benefits.
The English Muffins performed beautifully--the little air pockets made for some serious soaking up of the custard mixture.
Breakfast Soufflé with Blackberry Sauce
Serves: 6
6 Bay English Muffins
1 Granny Smith apple
3 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Meringue
7 egg whites
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Blackberry Sauce
4 cups blackberries
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Cut Bay English Muffins into 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Leave out on counter overnight.
Core and dice one Granny Smith apple, leaving skin on the apple. Add diced apple to muffin cubes.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine ¾ cup sugar and 3 eggs. Mix until smooth. Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Pour wet ingredients over muffin and apple mixture. Mix well, making sure all muffin pieces are well coated. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, allowing the muffins to absorb wet ingredients. Stir occasionally to redistribute.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour mixture into an 8 x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Press mixture down with a spatula several times during baking. While baking, prepare the Blackberry Sauce.
In a medium saucepan, combine blackberries, water, sugar and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat until berries soften and sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
After 40 minutes, remove “muffin pudding” from oven. Let sit to cool.
Prepare the meringue. Place 7 egg whites in a cold bowl of stand mixer, and add cream of tartar. Mix on medium speed until frothy. Continue mixing on medium-high speed, adding sugar slowly. Once all sugar is added, mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. This will take approximately 15 minutes. Continue to next step while eggs are beating.
Once cooled, break ½ of baked “muffin pudding” into a large bowl using your hands. Break into small pieces. When meringue has formed stiff peaks, fold ¼ of the meringue mixture into bowl containing half of the “muffin pudding” crumble. Once combined scrape into a loaf pan, 8x 8 pan or mini ramekins…all would work just fine. Then crumble remaining half of “muffin pudding” into bowl. Fold in remaining meringue. Top the loaf pan, 8x8 pan or ramekins to about 1 inch above the rim with this lighter mixture. Bake immediately at 350 degrees. Bake until top is golden and soufflé has set up. Approximately 35-40 minutes. Slice or spoon onto plate or serve individual mini ramekins.
Top with warm Blackberry Sauce. Enjoy!!
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