Ina Garten’s Vanilla Bean Brioche Bread Pudding

Our Father’s Day celebration involved grilling and baked goods. We started the day with a mini-bundt cake version of Alton Brown’s Strawberry Muffins. There may have been some leftover Strawberry Crumb Cake on the side too. My husband loves strawberry season. 🙂

Because he has been excited about experimenting with his meat grinder, my husband wanted to make his own burger blend for dinner. (This time, he used a combination of beef brisket and chuck steak. It was a success!) I made curly fries, corn on the cob, and a green salad with ice box buttermilk dressing to serve on the side. I think that he really wanted me to have time to focus on this incredible dessert!

This bread pudding recipe was adapted from Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks- a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten. The “pro tip” in this recipe was to use melted vanilla bean ice cream as a shortcut crème anglaise to drizzle over the top. It was rich, indulgent, and absolutely fabulous.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• 8 to 9 ounces brioche (I used 6 slices of Trader Joe’s brioche)
• 1 1/2 extra-large whole eggs (I divide an egg in half by weight)
• 4 extra-large egg yolks
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
• 7 ounces (1/2 pint) vanilla bean ice cream, melted, for serving (I used Häagen-Dazs)

1. Place the ice cream in a pitcher in the refrigerator to melt.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection, with a rack in the center.
3. Cut six 3/4-inch slices of brioche. (Trader Joe’s brioche is pre-sliced.) Keep 3 1/2 slices whole. Trim the crusts from the remaining 2 1/2 slices; cut into 1-inch dice.
4. In a single layer, spread the whole slices and cut pieces of brioche on a rimmed sheet pan. Place in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, to lightly toast the bread.
5. Meanwhile, make the custard. Whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, and vanilla bean seeds in a large bowl, preferably with a spout. Set aside.
6. Line a 2-inch deep baking dish with the whole slices of brioche, cutting them to fit in a single layer. (I used a 9 1/2-inch round, ceramic baking dish. An 8×8-inch square dish, or equivalent, could be substituted.)
7. Distribute the diced brioche on top.
8. Pour the custard over the top of the bread and press down lightly so that the bread is soaked with custard. Set aside for 10 minutes.
9. Place the baking dish in a roasting pan large enough to allow the baking dish to sit flat. (I used a large roasting pan with handles. I also placed a silicone mat underneath the baking dish to prevent it from moving within the pan.)
10. Pour about 1 inch of the hottest tap water into the roasting pan, being sure not to get any water into the custard.
11. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting the foil to make sure that it doesn’t touch the custard. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape.
12. Bake for 45 minutes.
13. Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until browned and set. Test by inserting a knife in the center- it should come out clean.
14. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm, drizzled with melted ice cream.

Sticky Banana Toffee Pudding

Happy Mardi Gras! I am making our traditional King Cake today, but I thought that this dessert could also be an appropriate celebratory option. It reminded me of a New Orleans bread pudding with some of the flavors of Bananas Foster, another famous New Orleans dessert.

The recipe was part of a Food and Wine magazine article, contributed by Laura Rege, titled “Ugly Delicious!” The author makes the point that a lot of delicious food isn’t Instagram drool-worthy. I didn’t really think that this dessert was that ugly, but it was delicious! 🙂

Yield: Serves 9

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided, plus more for greasing
 (I used cooking oil spray for greasing)
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 6 ounces pitted dates, chopped (1 cup)
 (I used Medjool dates)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 medium-size overripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• unsweetened whipped cream, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350°, preferably on convection. Grease a 9-inch square metal cake pan with butter or cooking oil spray.
2. In a small heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over the dates; stir in the baking soda.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat 1/4 cup of the butter with 3/4 cup of the brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
6. At low-speed, beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
7. Add the date mixture and bananas, and beat at low-speed until just combined.
8. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, the remaining 1/4 cup of butter, and the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over moderate heat, and cook until slightly thickened and deep golden, about 3 minutes. Keep warm.
10. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over the cake.
11. Pour half of the warm sauce over the cake, and let stand until absorbed, about 10 minutes.
12. Serve warm with the remaining sauce and the whipped cream.

One Year Ago: Pear & Cranberry Pie

Two Years Ago: My Mother-in-Law’s Napoleon Torte

Three Years Ago:

• Fudgy Brownie Cake
• Mad Hungry Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Four Years Ago:

• Apple Dutch Baby
• Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins
• Skinny Whole Wheat Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Five Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Cinnamon Snacking Cake
• My Dad’s Breakfast Crepes
• Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles