Recipe: Bourbon Molasses Bread Pudding

January 23, 2013 By 4 Comments

Bourbon Molasses Bread Pudding

Sometime during the last year, Bread Pudding has gone from being one of my least favorite desserts to one of my favorites. It seems to be on the menu at just about every restaurant we go to and I find myself ordering it again and again. There’s a lot of variation in both consistency and sweetness level among bread puddings. One of my favorites is Queen City Q’s Bread Pudding which resembles french toast more so than the typical formless bread pudding.

Bourbon Molasses Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding is a dessert I never ate as a child. My father is a self-proclaimed bread pudding hater. Ask him if he’d like some bread pudding and you’re bound to get a “Why would I want to eat soggy bread?” out of him. He’s convinced that restaurants use the bread that’s returned in the bread basket to make their bread pudding.

Bourbon Molasses Bread Pudding was my first attempt at Bread Pudding at home. It was very good, but I’m still searching for a knock-your-socks-off bread pudding recipe.

Bourbon Bread Pudding

Bourbon Molasses Bread Pudding

  • 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 cups whole milk
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Bourbon-Pecan Sauce (recipe follows)
  • Vanilla ice cream
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13X9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Spread bread cubes out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until dry. Let cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, bourbon, molasses, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Add bread and stir well.
  4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Gently press down on bread with a spatula to completely submerge it in the milk mixture. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
  5. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve topped with Bourbon-Pecan Sauce and ice cream, if desired.

Bourbon Pecan Sauce

  • 1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup bourbon
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  1. In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, bourbon, 1/3 cup water, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecans.

Recipe Source: Taste of the South

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Recipe: Pecan-Chipotle Tassies in Cornmeal Crust

November 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

Pecan Pie has always been our go-to dessert for Thanksgiving. I love an ultra-sweet slab of pecan pie served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. But I’ve tried just about every variation of pecan pie I could find- light corn syrup vs dark corn syrup, light brown sugar vs dark brown sugar, with bourbon, with chocolate, without chocolate, etc. And frankly they all end up tasting pretty much the same.

When I saw this recipe for Pecan-Chipotle Tassies in Cornmeal Crust I had very high hopes for it. How perfect to add something spicy to a dessert that is typically excessively sweet.

And I loved it! There’s just a little chipotle chili powder added into both the crust and the filling. It’s the perfect amount. Not enough to qualify it as a spicy food. Just enough to make your taste buds perk up and say — Hmmmm…. what’s that? There’s something a little different going on here.

I will say that I found the recipe quantities to be off a little off. The yield is 2 dozen tassies, but I only had enough dough for about 18 tassies and enough filling for 16. It could be that my mini muffin tin is a little larger. But no worries. There were still plenty to go around. If I was to make it again, I might increase the filling amount by 50%, but that would mean using 1/2 an egg which is always a little wierd.

Pecan-Chipotle Tassies in Cornmeal Crust

Dough

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Filling

  • 2/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese and beat at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add in remaining dough ingredients. Beat on low speed until dough forms. Scrape down sides of bowl several times. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes or more.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
  3. Pinch off an amount of dough that will make a ball slightly smaller than a ping pong ball, form into a ball and press down into muffin cup and up sides. Repeat with rest of dough.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla, chili powder, salt, and egg and stir well. Spoon a heaping teaspoonful into each cup.
  5. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until filling is set and crust is lightly browned. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen tassies

Recipe Source: Taste of the South Magazine

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Recipe: Candy Corn- Pretzel Fudge

October 1, 2012 By 6 Comments

Happy October! October is the absolute best month of the year. I’m sure many of you agree with me. I love everything about the month- the cooler weather, pumpkins, falling leaves, and of course Halloween.

I no longer go all out decorating my house for Halloween like I used to, but I still like to make a few special Halloween treats throughout the month. Candy Corn is one of the few candies that doesn’t tempt me, but I love the way it looks. (Although, I must say I am tempted by this Candy Corn Martini.)

This Candy Corn-Pretzel Fudge is both easy to make and extremely festive looking. Perfect for any Halloween gathering. If you like sweet/salty combos and you like candy corn- this fudge is for you.

The original recipe from Woman’s Day had dried cherries in it too, but I couldn’t imagine cherries and candy corn tasting good together, so I left them out.

 

Candy Corn-Pretzel Fudge

  • 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups white chocolate chips
  • 2 cups broken pretzel pieces
  • 1 cup candy corn
  1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, letting paper extend up and over sides.
  2. Beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar using an electric mixer about 2 minutes. Mixture should be smooth. Beat in vanilla.
  3. In a double-boiler or a pan with a very thick bottom, melt the chocolate. Keep the heat low and stir frequently so the chocolate does not burn.
  4. Add melted chocolate to cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold in the pretzel pieces.
  5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Top with candy corn. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Transfer to cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares.

Source: slightly adapted from Woman’s Day Magazine

Linked up at Mandatory Mooch , Mom on Timeout, and Michelle’s Tasty Creations

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Recipe: Pumpkin-Chocolate Whoopie Pies

September 22, 2012 By 5 Comments

I had such success making Lemon Whoopie Pies several months ago, I decided to try a second Whoopie Pie recipe. Since fall has finally arrived, I thought Pumpkin Whoopie Pies would be perfect. Most Pumpkin Whoopie Pie recipes that I’ve seen have some type of white filling- either cream cheese or marshmallow based. This recipe from Everyday Food is the only one I’ve seen with a chocolate filling.

They were a big success. My son scarfed down 3 in the blink of an eye when he got home from school. Either he really like them or he didn’t eat lunch that day.

The chocolate filling is really good – like a thick, creamy chocolate frosting. The recipe makes more than enough frosting to frost 10 whoopie pies which is the yield for this recipe. That means there will be lots left in the bowl to lick.

I altered the recipe just a little since it called for pumpkin pie spice and I didn’t have any nor could I find any at Walmart. And BTW the spice section at Walmart was complete chaos, empty spaces, spices in the wrong spot, spices strewn (is that a word?) haphazardly. Another gal asked me what I was looking for because she couldn’t find what she was looking for. She looked like she’d been there for quite some time. When she told me she hadn’t seen any pumpkin pie spice, I took her word for it and decided to make my own.

Pumpkin- Chocolate Whoopie Pies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter melted, plus 1/4 cup room temperature
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for serving.
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks placed in the upper and lower thirds of oven.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, melted butter, and 1/4 cup heavy cream.
  4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and whisk just until combined.
  5. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon mounds on baking sheets, spaced 1-inch apart.
  6. Bake until tops of cookies spring back when touched, about 12-14 minutes. Rotate sheets halfway through to promote even cooking. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
  7. For filling, in a medium bowl beat room temperature butter, 1/2 cup cream, cocoa powder, and confectioners sugar on medium high for 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Spread filling on flat side of 1/2 the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Yield: 10 whoopie pies

Recipe Source: Everyday Food

Linking up at Love Bakes Good Cakes and Mandatory Mooch

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Recipe: Lemon Whoopie Pies

July 25, 2012 By 45 Comments

 

Whoopie Pies have become quite trendy with all sorts of versions popping up. From the classic Chocolate and Vanilla to Red Velvet and Banana, the possibilities are endless. I thought Lemon-flavored Whoopie Pies would be perfect for a mid-summer treat.

These Whoopie Pies are super soft and both sweet and tart. The addition os both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest really amps up the flavor. Eating them straight from the fridge adds to their refreshing quality.

Lemon Whoopie Pies

Lemon Whoopie Pies

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together with a whisk and set aside.
  3. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until combined.
  5. Reduce speed to low and add 1/2 of flour, then the buttermilk, and then remaining flour. Mix just until combined.
  6. Drop heaping tablespoon full of dough onto baking sheets about 3 inches apart.
  7. Bake until firm on top, 10 to 12 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes and then carefully remove to wire rack.

To Make Filling

  1. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined and smooth.
  2. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  3. Place a large dollop of filling on underside of 1/2 of the cookies and top with remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 14 whoopie pies

Recipe Source: Joy the Baker via Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Linking up at The Trendy Treehouse , Mandatory Mooch, and Mom on Timeout, Little Becky Homecky, It’s Just Called Spicy, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Sunflower Supper Club, It’s a Hodgepodge Life, What’s cookin Love,  and Some Day Crafts

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Recipe: Blackberry Blueberry Pie

July 16, 2012 By 4 Comments

 

This is one of those free form pies that I love so much and it couldn’t be easier. No need to fuss over the pie dough or attempt to get it looking uniform. It should look natural and rustic and unfussed over. I used an extra piece of pie dough I had left over from making tomato pie.

I love blackberries, but left alone they can be a little too tart. The blueberries help sweeten the pie up nicely, but you could definitely use only blackberries. The blackberries were grown locally by Springs Farm and purchased at the Peach Stand.

Blackberry Blueberry Pie

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries, washed and dried
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
  •  1 prepared round pie dough
  • 1 egg white
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • vanilla ice cream
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place rolled out pie dough on top.
  3. Place berries in center of pie dough and fold edges up over berries.
  4. Melt butter and drizzle half over berries.
  5. Whisk remaining butter together with egg white and brush mixture over tops and sides of pie dough.
  6. Sprinkle sugar evenly over crust and berries.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Serve hot with ice cream.

Linking up at Adventures of a DIY Mom , Slice of Southern, and Not Just a Housewife

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Recipe: Butterscotch Brownies with Brown Sugar Icing

July 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

Lately I’ve been dusting off some of my favorite cookbooks. They’re like old friends. I go back to them again and again. Sometimes just to turn their pages. I tend to be picky about the Cookbooks that I really like. Beautifully done color photography is a must. I don’t understand cookbooks without pictures (Rachel Ray that would be you).

My very favorite cookbooks have pictures not just of the food. They include pictures of tablescapes, people, pictures of nature and buildings. They use photography to set the scene and tell a story. It is oftentimes the photography in a cookbook that really inspires me.

The photography in the Pastry Queen Cookbooks is exceptional. Not only does it show off the amazing recipes of Rebecca Rather, it provides a glimpse at life in Texas Hill Country. It makes me want to hop in the car and drive to Texas. But it’s too far. So instead I turn the pages in the cookbook again and again.

This recipe is from Pastry Queen Parties and it’s a winner. All of the Pastry Queen recipes I’ve tried have been exquisite. The recipe produces a huge batch of Brownies and they keep really well. The icing helps prevent them from drying out. We were eating them for a full week and they still tasted great.

I altered the recipe just ever so slightly, using 1 1/2 cups of pecans instead of the 2 cups the recipe calls for. I like nuts, but not an overwhelming amount. Plus they are expensive!

Butterscotch Brownies with Brown Sugar Icing (adapted slightly from Pastry Queen Parties)

  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3 cups packed brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

Icing

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a half-sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan with foil and grease with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Beat the 1 cup butter and 3 cups brown sugar using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy (approximately 2 minutes).
  3. Add eggs one at a time while beating on medium-low speed and then add vanilla extract. Beat for 1 more minute and scrape down sides of bowl to make sure everything is even in consistency.
  4. Combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
  5. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture at low-speed.
  6. Stir in pecans and pour into prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly.
  7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Bars should be set and slightly puffed. Cool completely.

For Icing

  1. Melt 1 cup butter and 2 cups brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Once mixture starts to bubble, decrease heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Place powdered sugar, half-and-half, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and using a paddle attachment beat on medium speed until creamy.
  3. Add melted butter mixture and beat to combine.
  4. Pool over cooled bars and let icing set for 30 minutes before cutting

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 2 by 3-inch bars

Linking up at Sugar and Dots

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