Peach Amaretto Bread Pudding

This recipe stems from Austria and it has a long Austrian name, but I decided it would be easier for all if I labeled it with an American name.  The original is more of a winter type of dessert consisting of apples and raisins, but I gave it a summer touch by using peaches.

The meringue topping really did make all the difference in the dessert.  I have made bread pudding before, but never had used this type of topping. Also, the peach and amaretto flavors have always been a favorite, so I was pleased with the final tasting of this desssert.

The change in the fruit to the original recipe as well as the type of bread only impacted the height of the dessert.  If I was to make it again I would probably use the more dense brioche than the Hawaiian bread.  While Hawaiian bread does taste sweeter, it just does not hold up to the soak as well as brioche.  At the time, I could not find any brioche and did not have the time to actually make any from scratch.

The original recipe is listed below, with notes of the changes that were made to create something for the summer season. 

Fruit Bread Pudding
adapted from Austrian Desserts and Pastries

Ingredients/Bread Pudding Base
3 eggs (whites separated from yolks)
1 1/2 cup milk
3 1/2 tbs clarified butter
pinch of salt
3 1/2 tbs butter (for pan coating)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
12 oz of brioche ( or Hawaiian Bread)
zest from 1/2 of a lemon ( not used in peach flavor)
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar ( or regular granulated sugar)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (for coating pan)

Ingredients/ Fruit Filling
3 tbs granulated sugar
1/2 cinnamon stick ( not used with peaches)
1/2 cup raisins (optional- not used with peaches)
1 lb peeled cored apples (or 6 peeled peaches)
1/2 cup white wine ( or 1/2 cup amaretto for peach dessesrt)

Ingredients /Meringue
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 egg whites
powdered sugar for dusting

Cut the fruit into thin slices and set aside.  Place a saucepan over low heat.  For the original apple dessert, pour the white wine into the saucepan and add the apples, cinnamon and sugar.  For the peach, pour the amaretto into the saucepan,  stir in the sugar and then add the peach slices.  Let poach in alcohol for about 5 minutes and then remove fruit and and drain well.  If using raisins, wash in hot water and place on paper towel to dry.

Take out the bread loaf and remove all of the crust.  Then slice very thin, about 1/5 of an inch.  Place in a bowl and set aside.  Pull out another bowl and mix together egg yolks, lemon zest, milk, salt and 1 tsp vanilla sugar until blended. Pour mixture over the the cut up bread.

Take out another bowl and fill with the egg whites and 3 tbs of sugar.  Beat until the consistency becomes very stiff. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Add the remaining sugar and beat for 1 minute. Fold this mixture into the bread pudding.

Once completed, grease a 9 X13 inch pan and dust with the bread crumbs. Then spread half of the bread pudding batter into the bottom of the pan.  Place the fruit slices evenly on top of the batter and sprinkle raisins on top (optional).  Smooth the additional batter over the top of the peaches, making sure it is even. Sprinkle the batter wth the melted butter. Place in oven and let bake for 1 hour.

While this is baking, place egg whites and sugar in top of a double boiler on low.  Beat until the temperature reaches 113 degrees.  Then pour egg whites into a regular medium size bowl and beat with mixer until they have a stiff consistency. 

Remove the pan from the oven once bread pudding is done.  Let cool and raise the temperature of the oven to 500 degrees.  Spread 1/3 of the meringue over the bread pudding.  Using the rest of the meringue, pipe long strips over the top.  Lastly, dust with powdered sugar.  Bake in the oven until lightly browned.  Keep a close eye on it, it browns quickly, about 2-3 minutes to reach the desired color.

Then take pan out of the pan and let cool for 5 minutes and slice and serve.
                                     **LAST YEAR: Lemongrass Bars**

Mixology Cupcakes

With New Years right around the corner, I thought it would only be appropriate if I mixed up some spirits to make a cupcake treat.  This one has 3 types of alcohol in it, so I did not skimp on the mixer at all!  Even though I am not a certified mixologist when it comes to bar drinks, I think these are well worth presenting at a New Year's Eve party.

The base is a cupcake made with port wine.  Then, I poked holes in the top with a wooden skewer and brushed some syrup on top made out of Godiva liqueur.  It not only made the cupcakes have more flavor, it made them very moist.  Instead of leaving it at that, I frosted them with a fluffy Amaretto frosting.  The final touch was chocolate sprinkles on top.  The recipe makes 20 cupcakes.

Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to write a few thoughts about the coming of the New Year.  It is a time when the door is open to set things straight.  In other words, to get your house in order before 2012 gets here.  This may mean settling differences you may have with family or friends.  Or it may mean that you fix that door that has been creaking for the last 6 months. By doing that, the new year will be a fresh start.  Once your house is in order, then it is time to sit down and raise a glass to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012! I wish all of you a happy New Year and that at midnight tonight, you are ringing in the New Year the best way you know how! Cheers!

Mixology Cupcakes
by fhourtrader

Ingredients/Cupcakes
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt, plus 1 pinch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare muffin pan by greasing the top edge of the cavities.  Then line with cupcake papers.  Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking soda and 1/4 tsp of salt.  Then whisk in the sugar.  Pour in 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and stir until all is blended.  Mix in 1/4 cup of red wine.  Then repeat the same, adding the two liquids in 1/4 cup intervals until all the wine and oil is mixed in.

In a small bowl, beat one egg yolk with a fork and then add to batter.  Stir batter with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and the egg is mixed in.  Continue with the same process for each of the egg yolks, so all is blended into the batter.  Set aside.

Fill a separate bowl with the egg whites and a pinch of salt.  Then beat at a high speed until the egg whites hold stiff, but not dry, peaks.  Fold the egg white mixture into the sugar/wine batter until no white streaks remain.

Then fill the cupcake liners with the batter. You can either pour it into the paper liners or use an ice cream scoop.  The cups should be filled evenly, about 3/4 full.

Place cupcakes in oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Remove and let cool in pan for 1 minute and then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

Once cool, take a wooden skewer and poke holes in the top of the cupcakes.  The holes should be about 3/4 the depth of the entire cupcake.

Ingredients/Godiva Syrup
1/2 cup Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
2 tsp sugar

Stir together ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.  Let cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  Then remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

Using a pastry brush, brush syrup over the top of the cupcakes and let soak in.  Continue with the process until no more syrup is left.

Regarding the frosting below, it cannot be made in advance.  It must be prepared and used immediately.

Ingredients/Frosting
adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs of butter (room temp)
4 egg whites
3 tbs and 1 tsp water
2/3 tsp vanilla
pinch of cream of tartar
2 tbs Amaretto
pinch of salt

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and stir. Put over medium high heat and let come to a boil until the sugar dissolves.  Then let cook until it reaches the soft ball stage or 238 degrees.  This can happen very quickly and if your mixture turns from white or clear to an amber color, it probably has gone past the soft ball stage.  Once proper consistency and temperature is reached, remove from heat.  Then pour into a heat proof bowl to let cool.

In a medium size bowl, beat egg whites for 30 seconds.  Then add the cream of tartar and salt.  Then beat on medium high until stiff peaks form but mixture is not dry.

Once the sugar syrup has cooled to lukewarm temperature or cooler, pour 2 tablespoons into the egg white mixture and beat for 30 seconds.  Then add the rest of the syrup and beat for 3 minutes.  Set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter till fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the butter to the sugar batter and beat for 2 minutes.  Continue with this process of beating the butter into the sugar batter in intervals.  Lastly add vanilla extract and amaretto and beat for 1 minute.

Then cut the corner off a gallon zip lock bag and place decorating tip inside, sticking out of the corner.  Fill the bag with the frosting and then ice the cupcakes.  Lastly, top with chocolate sprinkles.
                              **LAST YEAR: Pink Champagne Cupcakes**

Peach Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce

I have never made bread pudding before nor eaten it, so I was not sure what to expect.  I was wondering if it would be like french toast or something a little different.  After making this recipe and tasting it, I was pleasantly surprised.

While baking, the bread transformed to a custard.  You could not even tell that there was any bread in the dish at all.  It has a creamy almond custard taste for the bottom component and is topped with peaches, cinnamon, almonds and brown sugar.  The picture above does not show the dish with the sauce, but to me it was a vital component to making this dish complete in taste.

In the picture the peaches look to be on top of the custard.  I did skip the step of pressing down the slices into the pan, so that task may help to envelope the peach in the bread pudding instead of having it only on top.  Either way, I am sure the dish is just as delicious as the other.

Peach Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce
adapted from Recipes from American Inns and Bed & Breakfasts

Ingredients/Bread Pudding
1/4 cup and 2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
15 oz can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, drained
3 1/2 cups cubed bread (1/2 inch square), crusts removed
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp ground almonds

Grease an 8 inch square baking pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar and almond extract.  Place cubed bread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Pour in egg mixture, making sure all bread is covered.  Then place peach slices on top, distributing evenly and pressing down with a spoon.

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar.  Then sprinkle on top of the bread pudding.  Lastly sprinkle with the ground almonds.

Place pan in oven and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, which is about 45-55 minutes.  While this is baking, you can prepare your sauce.

Ingredients/Amaretto Sauce (makes 1 cup)
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp flour
1/4 cup or 1/2 a stick of butter
2 tsp Amaretto

In a small saucepan, stir together flour and sugar.  Add butter and half&half.  Then place over medium high heat and stir until butter is melted.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir in Amaretto.

Place a serving of warm bread pudding in a bowl.  Then ladle with some of the sauce and serve.
                                   **LAST YEAR: Shortbread Squares**
Please note that this post is not open to comments since I am on vacation due to the Thanksgiving holiday and am unable to reciprocate or answer any questions.