Class 2 Homework ~ Croissant Bread Pudding ~

My coworker H has this amazing neighbor who owns a bakery/chocolate store.  This neighbor likes to leave leftover croissants on H's doorstep so they don't go to waste.  Free croissants!  But since one can only eat so many at once, they often go straight to the freezer.  When H told me about this wonderful phenomenon that occurred every so often, I half jokingly said that if she ever gave me some, I would make a croissant bread pudding for her.

Flakey on top, moist on the bottom.

A couple of months passed after our initial conversation and I almost forgot about it until one day, H appeared with a paper bag full of huge croissants! I immediately went home and baked them into a bread pudding since it was the perfect opportunity for me to do some "homework."

I ate one for dinner too, to taste.  Hey, I have to know what I'm baking with right?  It was still pretty flaky on the outside and with a couple minutes in the toaster oven, it was the perfect texture.  Very flavorful too.  Quite impressive for a bakery in Los Angeles.

Croissanty!

I used my standard recipe.  Super easy but delicious and as always, I added some brandy.  The brandy is really what seals the deal on the deliciousness of this recipe.  But don't add more than the recipe calls for otherwise you will get a very alcoholic pudding, which is fine if you plan on serving it in place of a cocktail but as a dessert, not recommended.  Trust me.  I made another bread pudding shortly after this one and added extra brandy thinking more is better.  More is better when it comes to money.  And presents.  But not brandy in bread pudding!



Bread Pudding

1/2 loaf French bread or Challah, cubed (or in this case, an equivalent amount of croissants)
1 cup milk
2 cups cream
3 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
zest from 1/2 orange
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins soaked in 1/2 cup brandy
(if you don't like raisins, omit them but still add 1/4 cup brandy for flavor)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter a round or square baking dish.  Either 8" or 9" will work.  I suggest lining it with parchment too since raisins will stick to the bottom.  It's not as big of an issue if you aren't using raisins though.

2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, zest, and vanilla extract.  Add cubed bread and stir to combine.  Note: you don't have to actually cube the bread with a knife.  You can just tear it into smallish pieces. 

3. Add raisins and brandy and stir to combine.  Let sit until the bread has soaked up the liquid mixture and become soggy.

4. Pour into the baking dish and place on the middle rack of the oven.  Bake until browned and set, about 1 hour.  Once cool, unmold the pudding and cut into squares.

I personally prefer it chilled but you can definitely eat it warm.  My style is to stick the cut pieces in the fridge and about 5-10 minutes before consumption, I pull a piece out and let it sit on the counter to warm up just a tad.  Best.  Ever.   

Pro Baking I ~ Class 2 ~

Class 2 was all about the custard.  I love custards, especially because ice creams are technically custards and I think ice cream is my favorite thing in the world.  Yum!

 We learned how to make a creme brulee, chocolate pudding, and a bread pudding.  I would've much preferred making a creme caramel, a flan, or a pots de creme since I like to eat those the most, it was fun using a torch for the first time.  Yeah!

I'm glad I got to practice making a stove top pudding.  My only experience with it has been to make vanilla pastry cream, and even that I'd only done a couple of times before.  This tasted much better than the plastic cups sold by JELL-O, but I'm sure it's also because this one is so much more caloric...

The creme brulee was fine.  But I'm not a good judge of creme brulee because I don't like it much.  it's too heavy for me, and it always has been.  The one made in class was no exception.  Plus, burnt sugar crusts are very take it or leave it for me.  I like cracking them and they're really fun to make (can't go wrong with a blow torch) but I can do without eating them.

But the bread pudding.  OMG.  This was the best bread pudding I've ever had.  It was the solid type that you can cut up into squares and package, not the spooning type.  It's made with Challah bread.  Ever since I discovered Challah a few years ago (late in life I know, but Hawaii doesn't exactly have a large Jewish influence) it has turned into one of my favorite breads.  It's great on it's own, it tastes great with creamy cheeses like Camembert, it makes the best french toast (much better than Brioche, trust me), and now I know that it's the best bread for bread pudding!

It's moist, sweet without being overtly so, and the texture--so yummy!  I used raisins soaked in Grand Marnier and they definitely made a huge difference.  No nuts though.  I don't like it when crunchy textures mix with soft textures so I left them out.  I can't wait to practice making this one.  Although I might eat the whole thing in one sitting...

The most important thing to remember with this is to let the bread soak up all of the egg/milk/sugar mixture before putting it into the oven, and then as hard as it may be, let the pudding rest overnight in the fridge.  All the flavors will really meld together that way.  If you can hold off for two days, that's even better.  Trust me on this.  And while it's good warm, I really like it cold.  Leave it out for about 5-10 minutes after pulling it from the fridge and it becomes nice and soft but still chilled.  It's the best.

Eat me!

I know it doesn't look amazing, but I promise you that it is!  Salivate...