Secret Recipe Club: Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Rum Cinnamon Sauce

.  Fall, in my mind, means comfort food.  Warm, comfort food.  From soups to pies to all of those highly anticipated holiday meals.

And bread pudding.

Bread pudding is easily my most favorite indulgent treat.  There's absolutely nothing healthy about it [what baked good is...] but uggGggGggGggggh, it is SO good.  I can't resist it.  I get it from my mama.

So for this months' SRC, there was zero question about what I would choose to make from Kate's Kitchen, my October assignment.

Kate's lovely blog is full of savory cooking recipes and you know they must be de-lish because her hubby is actually a sous chef.  As well as her appointed taste tester.  So while I eat pre-made salads from the grocery store, I can't even imagine the decadent, wondrous meals going down in Kate's house.  Lucky gal!

But as I perused Kate's blog, I came across her Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Rum Cinnamon Sauce....hmm, no brainer.

And this recipe did not disappoint.

Bread puddings are one of those goodies that require the least amount effort but produce crowd pleasing favorites that no one can ever get enough of.  And during the hectic holiday times, who doesn't love a dish that you quickly prepare the night before, let set while you sleep, and pop into the oven in the morning for a hearty, filling breakfast?

This custard-laden bread dish consists of your classic bread pudding ingredients but Kate's subtle variations create a dish on a level of it's own.  For example, allowing the butter to seep into each piece of bread, the studding of chocolate chips throughout the dish, and the drizzle of butter and brown sugar across the top before baking.  I guess that cinnamon rum sauce [that simply screams holidays!] seeping into every crevice doesn't hurt either.

But to really get what I'm saying here, you're just going to have to bake up a batch of this yourself.  It took me oh, all of about 6.25 minutes to whip together and you just let the oven do the rest.  I'm already envisioning this dish at our breakfast table for the coming holidays.  It's that worthy.

I highly recommend you make try this recipe out before the holidays though, just to make sure you really like it.  It typically takes about half of a panful of taste testing bites to truly get a feel for it though.  I guess you'll just have to sacrifice for this one though ☺

So THANK YOU, Kate, for such a quality recipe that will remain in my repertoire for a long time coming.  I'm so excited to have been assigned your blog and can't wait to see what you whip up next.  Until next month, SRCers!  .

My Notes:

• Feel free to use whatever type of bread you have on hand, but I always recommend quality breads such as challah, brioche, etc.  And if you're feeling really adventurous, try out the best homemade challah recipe I've come across [and I'm not just saying that because it's my recipe, I promise!].  
• This particular recipe doesn't require overnight setting, but it doesn't mean it can't!  The longer a bread pudding sits, the better it will taste.  Trust!
• If you're looking for a more adult version of the rum cinnamon sauce, substitute in 1/4 cup of rum for the rum extract and water.

Adapted From Kate's Kitchen

Ingredients:

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding:

1 lb. bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 scant c. semisweet chocolate chips

2-1/2 c. half & half

1 c. sugar

6 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar

Rum Cinnamon Sauce:

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. rum extract

3 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, toss together bread and melted butter to coat bread pieces evenly.  Add chocolate chips and mix well.  Spread bread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
2. In the same bowl, whisk together half & half, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt.  Pour the custard over the bread mixture.  Press bread down to make sure each piece is coated with the custard.  Let stand for 30 minutes to soak, pressing bread down every 10 minutes.  
3. Heat oven to 350°F.  Drizzle the remaining melted butter and brown sugar over top of bread pudding.  Bake 1 hour or until puffed and golden.  
4. For the sauce, in a small bowl whisk together melted butter and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.  Add cinnamon, rum extract, water, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.  Serve over bread pudding.

Yield: 2 dozen servings

Lemon Blueberry Bread Pudding

.  I'm sorry.

Not sure if you've noticed, but my posts have been lacking as of late.  Not quite sure why but I guess I haven't felt like it.  I've been a bit busy with work, our recent trip to LaLa Land, and I think I've been mentally preparing for the month of June, which will be one crazy time.  But there will be more about that later this week.

But what I will let you in on is that our month of June will involve a number of out of town visitors.  And.  I.  Can't.  Wait.

If you haven't heard, I live for entertaining.  Granted, I'm not the best at it.  But I love planning meals and getting to watch people enjoy the things I have for them.  One of those particular reasons I can't get enough of baking, actually.  But anywho, the fact that we'll be having some guests is what brings me to this post: Lemon Blueberry Bread Pudding.  Odds are my visitors will be shoveling this in their face sometime in the next couple of weeks...

First, it's ridiculously easy.  Like most bread puddings I would say.  Second, stupid good.  Yes, 'stupid' in this context is a good thing.  A great thing.  There's a few things that make this bread pudding extra special, too.  Let me fill you in: local, luscious blueberries bursting in every bite, a slightly crunchy sugary topping, and of course, bready goodness bringing it all together with the help of a thick, creamy custard.  Doesn't get much better, my dear friends.  

I'll admit, I'm a bit bias when it comes to any bread pudding.  I'm like my mama and can't get enough of this breakfast/dessert.  It's just irresistible.  And when I get a quality one, it's all over.  I may or may not have eaten the majority of this goodness-in-a-pan all by myself.  You'll never know though...

Now that you have this on your baking list [yep, you do], make sure to keep an eye on LSM later this week to hear about the big news!  Especially you Omaha'ers ;)  .

My Notes:

• When placing the blueberries in the pan, you'll have excess flour left over in the bowl.  Make sure to leave it out of the bread pudding, the flour is only to keep the blueberries from sinking and you don't need the excess.
• This time around I used a nine-grain loaf from Great Harvest Bread Company.  I personally  liked it and it made me feel a bit better knowing I was at least eating a healthier bread.  But some found that the graininess of the bread didn't work for them, so I would definitely go with a great challah or brioche.  Nom, nom, nom!

Adapted from Heirloom Baking

Ingredients:

Bread Pudding:

3 c. blueberries

2 tbsp. all purpose flour

6 tbsp. butter, melted

2 c. milk

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1-1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

3/4 tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 eggs, beaten

1 round loaf bread (e.g., challah, nine grain, brioche), cut into 1-inch squares

Sugar Topping:

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1/3 c. sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray 13x9-inch pan with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Toss blueberries and flour together in a small bowl.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter, milk, heavy whipping cream, salt, nutmeg, sugar, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract.  Add eggs and beat to combine.  
4. Place half of bread pieces evenly into prepared pan.  Pour half of custard over bread and sprinkle with half of blueberries.  Add remaining bread pieces, then custard and blueberries.  Cover bread pudding loosely with plastic wrap and gently press down to ensure the custard has moistened all of the bread.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Remove plastic wrap and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Cover pan with foil.  Bake 30 minutes .  Remove foil and bake an additional 45 minutes or until pudding is bubbling, topping has caramelized, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out relatively clean.  Allow to cool 1 hour before serving.

Yield: 16 servings

The Improv Cooking Challenge: Cranberry Eggnog Bread Pudding

.  It's that time of the month again!  No, not that time of the month.  Get your head outta the gutters, it's the holidays! ☺  But you guessed it, it's ICC time!!  And as you know, one of my favorite parts of the months [nerd alert!].  I had such a blast making Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls and Mini Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes, how could I not look forward to this?!

So what did we have to work with in December?  Well, very festive ingredients for sure...

Cranberries and Eggnog  

Gah.  Love.  

However, I will say that when I first saw eggnog, I had a little [or more than usual] blank in my head. I've only ever done anything with eggnog just last year when I made Eggnog Cheesecake [which I have not posted, but if you would like the recipe let me know and it'll be my next Tried & True Tuesday].  And when I baked with it for the first time, it was also the very first time I had ever tasted eggnog.  So I felt a little behind the eight ball with this ingredient.

I did know that I wanted to do something decadent and rich.  Something perfectly holiday-like.  And what I came up with is just that.  Not bragging, but just puttin' it out there.

My little concoction of Cranberry Eggnog Bread Pudding is absolutely wonderful.  It screams Christmas, winter, and any other word you can associate with this time of the year.  Seriously, it's scrumptious.  I was a tad skeptical thinking this would dish would turn out, but the eggnog worked perfectly as a substitute for heavy whipping cream, giving the bread a little sweetness and extraordinary spice.  The cranberries add a burst of tartness every other bite, complementing the breadiness and eggnoggy flavor juuuuust right.

And the texture of this bread pudding?  I know, for some people bread pudding is just not their thing.  But the combination of bread, liquid, and flavor are just right, not too soggy or too dry.  But landing right in the center, a tender and moist bread pudding.  I will be using the base of this recipe for years to come, it's that memorable.

I realize my blog has been flooded with cranberry treats lately, but what can I say, it's the holidays [that rhymed]!  So you can bet you're favorite present that I'll be throwing out some more cranberry recipes, I can't help it.  I'll try to mix it up a bit for you though.

Anywho, another great ICC experience!  Let's hope it rolls on into the New Year.  Happy eating!  .

My Notes:

• The eggnog flavor in this recipe is by no means over powering.  I was pretty nervous about this happening, because as we all know, the flavor of eggnog is very distinct.  But I really do think the amount I chose to add is just right; however, if you're an eggnog fanatic or not so much, you can adjust the amount of eggnog you'd like to use, just add or take away the same amount of heavy whipping cream to equal 2 cups of liquid.
• I chose to use cherry-flavored cranberries.  I personally adore these but you can use whichever type of cranberry you'd like.
• I used exactly 1 round loaf of cinnamon chip bread from Great Harvest Bread Company [my definite go-to business for any type of bready goodness].  I chose this bread because I thought the extra cinnamon would be wonderful, but you can use what ever type of bread you have on hand.
• Not sure if you took note, but I would like to point out my brand new 2 quart Emile Henry baking dish that I won from a giveaway over at Zoe Bake's.  First, I NEVER win anything, so I was literally jumping up and down when I found out.  And second, this dish is the bomb.com.  It's absolutely beautiful and if you don't know anything about the brand, well...it's one of the best.  It would sure make for some good holiday gifts ☺

 Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

1-1/2 c. eggnog

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 eggs

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 c. dried bread cubes

1 (6 oz.) package dried cherry-flavored cranberries

Directions:

1.  In a small bowl, combine eggnog, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. 

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and cinnamon.

3.  Gradually whisk milk mixture into egg mixture.

4.  Place dried bread cubes into an ungreased 2-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle cranberries evenly over bread, making sure some of the cranberries get into the center of the mixture (I just lifted up a few pieces of bread here and there to get the cranberries evenly spread throughout).

5.  Pour milk mixture evenly over bread mixture, making sure to get all of the top pieces covered.  Press down lightly with the back of a large spoon to moisten bread.  Cover with foil and chill for 1 to 24 hours.

6.  Heat oven to 350F.  Bake, covered, for 1 hour or until top appears evenly set.

Yield: 12 servings

Baked Cinnamon French Toast

. Happy post-Halloween, everyone!  I hope everyone had an absolutely wonderful day, I know we did!  If you recall, my parents were in town for the weekend and that's always a guaranteed good time [maybe not for Robbie though...just kidding!].  We spent the days shopping, going to the pumpkin patch, eating!, watching movies, and enjoying the ever-so-fun Halloween night by dressing up our puppies, handing out too much candy, and cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs to a [down-to-the-wire] victory over the San Diego Chargers.  Let's take a gander at some pictures from the weekend...


Robbie and I at dinner with parents.



Breakfast time!  Enjoying some Baked Cinnamon French Toast :)




Pumpkin patch time!



Christmas picture?!



Carving pumpkins!  I did a pumpkin design and my mom did [one-handed] ghosts.

And you can bet I fully dressed up our little puppies for Halloween, how cute are they?!

Ollie as a glow-in-the-dark Skeleton.



Graham was the cutest Pumpkin on the block!



Tilly as a Witch [toy shaped as a broom included!].

 So you know how I mentioned we ate [a lot]?  Well we did.  And remember how I mentioned in a previous post that I have to stock up on snacks for my dad so he doesn't [as he claims] lose 10 pounds while he's here?  Well I did.  And guess what?  Success!  By the end of the first day my dad claimed he had already gained 5 pounds!  That'll teach him...

But I can't really blame him, I alone baked three things just for the weekend and I would say they all turned out great! So I'll have to pump out some posts about those goodies.  But for today, I highly encourage you to make this outstanding Baked Cinnamon French Toast, taken from two peas & their pod, for the upcoming weekend.  Yes, this recipe made it's debut while my parents were here and let's just say it did not see the end of the weekend.  It's that good.  Even my not-so-bread-loving boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed this breakfast treat.  And it's SO ridiculously simple, about 5 minutes of prep the night before and all you have to do is pop it in the oven the following morning.  Easy peasy!

But why is this dish of bready, cinnamoney yumminess so divine?  Well, you start out with some quality bread [I used the unsurpassable Cinnamon Chip Loaf from Great Harvest Bread Company], pair that with the creaminess we love of bread pudding, and add on a thick layer of sweet, cinnamon-sugar streusel topping.  Point out something wrong with any part of that.  I know...you can't.

More recipes from the weekend to come!

My Notes:

• As I mentioned, I used one round loaf of GHB's Cinnamon Chip bread.  This is by far my favorite bread to use for baking, it's ridiculously soft and those little pockets of cinnamon throughout the loaf take it to the next level.  But you can use any bread loaf you have lying around, such as French Bread.
• Make the casserole the night before as well as the topping, but don't sprinkle on the topping until you're ready to bake.  Refrigerate both components over night and you'll have breakfast in the A.M. in no time!
• You don't have to, but I served the bread pudding with maple syrup, which added the most perfect sweetness to the mix.  The bread pudding itself isn't extremely sweet, so it handles the addition of maple syrup quite well.  Try it.

Adapted from two peas & their pod

Ingredients:

Bread Pudding:

1 loaf Cinnamon Chip Bread

8 large eggs

2 c. milk

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

3/4 c. sugar

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Streusel Topping:

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. cold butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1.  Spray a 13x9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Tear or cut the bread loaf into chunks or cubes and evenly place in pan.  Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.

3.  Pour egg mixture evenly over bread.  Gently press down on bread using a utensil so bread cubes soak up the liquid.  Cover with saran wrap and store in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

4.  In a small bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Add butter and cut into dry mixture using fingertips or pastry blender until mixture has only a few pea-sized chunks.  Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

5.  When ready to bake, heat oven to 350°F.  Remove pan from refrigerator and sprinkle with streusel topping.

6.  Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until bread pudding is set and golden brown.

Yield: 16 servings

Tried & True Tuesday: Creme Brulee French Toast

.  Another week gone by, and Tuesday flew right past me!  I have a fairly good excuse though, so let me explain myself.

Yesterday (the actual Tuesday), I was informed that we were having a 'Treat Day' on Thursday for one of our co-workers who got a job in another department.  First of all, this basically brightened my whole day because I now had a valid reason to bake.  But when I got back from lunch, I found out that 'Treat Day' had now been moved to Wednesday because of some schedule conflicts.  "Uhhhh, okay!"  In reality, this really isn't a big deal if you're a normal person.  But with me, I seem to take my sweet ol' time when picking out a recipe.  I always filter through every book, every folder, every magazine, and every bookmarked on-line recipe, that I have.  Which obviously takes a little time.  Fortunately, my bacon-loving co-worker (the one I made the Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies for) had given me a recipe a while back and she insisted kindly suggested that I bring them in.  Those are definitely blog worthy though, so we'll get to those later this week.  But back to my explanation, I was busy baking last night and just didn't have the time to post a Tuesday recipe.  But now I do!

So for Tried & True Tuesday (well, Wednesday now, but work with me!), I chose an overnight dish given to me by none other than my dear mom: Creme Brulee French Toast.  Since you can prepare this the night before, it's perfect for those busy weekdays.  Just pop it in the oven when you wake up in the morning and by the time you're ready for breakfast, a wonderfully filling, sweet morning surprise will be waiting for you!

So what is it exactly?  It's basically an organized [best ever!] bread pudding.  Aside from the deliciously flavorful bread mixture, this goodie is finished (actually more like begins with) a caramely layer on the bottom of the pan.  When you're ready to serve, you simply flip the piece of french toast up-side down to reveal a wonderfully luscious caramelized syrup.  I, of course, always take some extra caramel from the pan and sneakily top it over my own piece.  But I'm the baker so no one can get mad at me for it.

So before we make it to Thursday, let me get you this recipe.  Enjoy, enjoy, and enjoy!  .

Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients:

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1 c. packed light brown sugar

2 tbsp. corn syrup

2 round loaves Cinnamon Chip Bread

12 eggs

3 c. half & half

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In small heavy saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring until smooth and glossy.  Pour into 13x9-inch pan.
2. Cut bread into 1-inch slices.  Arrange 10 bread slices on top of sugar mixture, squeezing tightly to fit.
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.  Pour half of mixture over first layer of bread slices.  Place second layer of bread slices over the first layer.  Pour the remaining egg mixture over top layer of bread, letting mixture soak into the entire surface of each slice of bread.  Chill, covered, at least 8 hours or up to one day.
4. Remove bread mixture from refrigerator 1 hour before baking.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Bake 45 minutes or until puffed and edges are golden.

Yield: 8 large pieces

*My Notes:

• Okay, I must warn you: this dish puffs like NONE OTHER.  It's actually quite comical because it looks like the bread is going to explode in the oven.  But don't worry, that definitely didn't happen (to me at least...).
• The original recipe simply said 'Bread,' so the amount of bread I specified here is what I ended up using.  I personally am head-over-heels for the Cinnamon Chip Bread from the Great Harvest Bread Company, so that's what I chose.  They only sell it in round loaves so I sliced and trimmed the bread to fit it in the pan.  You can of course use basically any type of bread you like, but I think the cinnamon adds another [tasty] element to the dish.  So what I'm trying to say is don't pass it up!
• The recipe says to cut 1-inch thick bread slices and I would follow this recommendation.  I sliced the bread a tad bit thicker than that and I found that it was a little harder to get the egg mixture soaked into the top layer.  It was do-able, but if you keep to the directions then you'll be just fine. 

Bread Pudding Muffins

. So I finally made it back to Omaha from Spring, Texas, and I was warmly welcomed by 15°F and snowfall.  [In a highly sarcastic tone] "Oh, it's good to be home!"

As I mentioned in my previous post, I traveled to Spring for work for the week.  What I don't think I've mentioned before is that my boyfriend works for Deloitte & Touche, a large public accounting firm.  Of course, my travel plans happened to fall on the last week of their "busy season."  That fancy little collection of words basically entails their employees working all hours of the night for several weeks and you can bet that we rarely, and I mean rarely, ever saw each other.  Wait, don't we also have three dogs that never got to see their daddy?  Yep, there's the [three] little kinks in my story.  Fortunately, I was able to persuade a great mutual friend of ours to house/puppy-sit for the week.  Seroiusly, thank the LORD he is around.

Aside from [madly] cleaning the house last weekend, I figured a nice little breakfast treat for our knight-in-shining-armor was desperately needed.  If you've ever been to our house, you can vouch for me that we literally do not have any food besides MAYBE some chocolate chips that I used in a previous baking venture (ask my dad who visited for Christmas and claims that he lost 10 lbs. while he was here).  It's sad, and comical at the same time, but I'm working on it.

Anywho, I came across the recipe for Bread Pudding Muffins from JoyofBaking.com a while back.  Another one of my guilty, guilty pleasures?  Bread pudding.  So this fun twist definitely caught my attention.  Instead of baking the bread pudding in a 13x9-inch pan, which is usually the standard way, this recipe separates the mixture in to individual muffin cups.  A beyond perfect breakfast item for people on the go or just a quick snack in the afternoon.

The bread pudding itself is filled with luscious bread, cranberries (or raisins, your choice!), and chunks of apple.  Another great thing about these that I found is that the longer they are able to sit, the more flavorful they become.  So making them ahead of time is actually recommended and that always makes life a little easier, doesn't it?

MmMmmMm.  I ALSO recommend that you go make these right now.  Whether they're for breakfast, lunch, or dessert, everyone will thank you!  Happy baking! .

Bread Pudding Muffins

Ingredients:

7 c. bread cubes, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 c. half & half or light cream

1 c. milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 c. raisins or dried cranberries

1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Place rack in middle of oven.  Butter or spray with nonstick vegetable spray 12 muffin cups.

2.  Place bread cubes in large bowl and add cream and milk.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and butter.

3.  In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest.  Stir dried ingredients into bread mixture and then fold in raisins and apple chunks.

4.  Evenly divide mixture among muffins cups.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.  Place on wire rack to cool.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Yield: 12 muffins

*My Notes:

• If you've made bread pudding before, most recipes call for stale bread.  Knowing this, I let the bread (I used a loaf of challah from Trader Joe's, by the way) sit out for a day.  However, I DON'T recommend doing that for this treat.  My muffins turned out a tad dry at first (they got better as the days went on, as I mentioned they would) and I'm almost certain it's because the dry bread soaked up all of the liquid.
• When you mix the bread with the cream and milk, I would put the ingredients into a 13x9 pan and press down slightly to get the wet ingredients entirely over the bread (and keep the mixture in the pan the entire time until you're ready to put it in the muffin cups).  I initially did this step in a bowl and the constant folding to combine the milk and bread tore up the bread just a bit.  
• I used cranberries and a small Pink Lady Apple (my personal favorite) this time around.  The tartness of the cranberries with the sweetness of the apple was just...good!