Bon Appetit Desserts (102 page)

These fast and easy puddings become something truly special when you perk up store-bought caramel sauce with a little sea salt.
Makes 8

1½ cups purchased caramel sauce

¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

8 5×3½-inch slices white sandwich bread (such as buttermilk bread or potato bread), very lightly toasted

3 medium bananas, peeled, thinly sliced on diagonal into 1½-inch ovals

4 large eggs

1½ cups half and half

⅓ cup whole milk

2½ tablespoons sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat broiler. Butter eight ¾-cup ramekins. Mix caramel sauce and ¼ teaspoon sea salt in small bowl. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon caramel into each ramekin. Place bread on rimmed baking sheet. Spread 1 generous tablespoon caramel over each bread slice. Broil until caramel is bubbling and slightly darker, watching closely to avoid burning, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool.

Cut each bread slice into 6 squares, for a total of 48 pieces. Set 1 banana slice on each bread square. Arrange 6 banana-topped bread squares standing on edge, side by side in each prepared ramekin, fitting snugly. Whisk eggs, half and half, milk, 1½ tablespoons sugar, vanilla, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon sea salt in medium bowl. Pour enough custard into each ramekin to reach top. Let stand until bread absorbs some of custard, about 30 minutes. Reserve any remaining custard.

Meanwhile, position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F Pour remaining custard into ramekins. Brush exposed bread pieces with melted butter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Set ramekins in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake puddings until set and knife inserted into custard comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove from water; cool.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serve bread puddings warm or at room temperature.

Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding

Egg bread, bittersweet chocolate, and an intense caramel sauce combine to make this the ultimate comfort dessert. It takes about half an hour for the custard to soak into the bread before it can be baked, so allow yourself enough time.
8 to 10 servings

8 ½-inch-thick slices egg bread (about 5×4 inches), crusts trimmed, cut into ¾- to 1-inch cubes

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided

1½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup purchased dulce de leche ice-cream topping or butterscotch-caramel sauce

4 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

½ cup (about 3 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons sugar

Powdered sugar

Additional purchased dulce de leche ice-cream topping or butterscotch-caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons melted butter; toss. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bread begins to color, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool. Brush 11×7×2-inch glass baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Stir cream and dulce de leche topping in medium saucepan over medium heat until blended and bubbling. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in large bowl. Add rum, vanilla, and salt; gradually whisk in warm dulce de leche mixture. Stir in bread cubes. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix chocolate chips into custard mixture; transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake pudding until puffed and set in center, about 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over pudding. Serve warm, passing additional dulce de leche topping alongside.

Spiced Cranberry Bread Puddings

Treat these beautiful desserts like little upside-down cakes; turn them out of their dishes to show off the ruby red cranberries on the bottom.
Makes 6

1 cup sugar, divided

½ cup frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed

½ cup orange juice

2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

3 cups cranberries (about 12 ounces), unthawed if frozen

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

12 slices white sandwich bread

¼ cup apricot preserves

Ground cinnamon

Freshly grated nutmeg

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Bring ½ cup sugar, cranberry juice concentrate, orange juice, and orange peel to boil in heavy large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Mix in cranberries; return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer gently 3 minutes (cranberries should not break). Pour cranberry mixture into strainer set over bowl and drain. Return syrup to same saucepan. Boil until very thick and reduced to generous ½ cup, about 7 minutes. Fold berries into syrup. Cool to room temperature.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Spray six 1- to 1¼-cup ramekins with nonstick spray. Measure diameter of ramekins. Line bottom of each with parchment paper round. Cut 1 round from each bread slice to fit bottom of each ramekin. Spread each bread round with 1 teaspoon preserves, then sprinkle with cinnamon and grating of nutmeg.

Spoon 1 tablespoon cranberries (with as little syrup as possible) into bottom of each ramekin. Top with 1 bread round, preserves side down. Repeat 1 time with berries and bread rounds. Reserve berry syrup.

Whisk eggs, liqueur, vanilla, coarse salt, and remaining ½ cup sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Add cream and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour custard, ¼ cup at a time, over bread in each ramekin (generous ½ cup in each). Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour, occasionally pressing bread to submerge.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place ramekins in 13×9×2-inch metal baking pan. Add enough lukewarm water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake puddings until puffed and firm to touch, about 45 minutes. Remove from water. Let cool 10 minutes. Using small sharp knife, cut around sides of puddings. Turn out onto plates; peel off parchment. Spoon some reserved syrup over. Serve warm.

Gingerbread Puddings with Candied Apples

The apples cook slowly in cider until the liquid is reduced to a thick syrup that intensifies their flavor. The time may vary depending on the size of the pot used. Happily, the gingerbread recipe makes more than you need for the puddings. Enjoy leftovers with a cup of tea for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack.
Makes 8

8 cups unsweetened apple cider or apple juice

1½ pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into ⅓-inch cubes (about 4½ cups)

¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1 large egg

¾ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

½ cup boiling water

3 cups whole milk

2 4-inch-long pieces fresh ginger (about 4 ounces), peeled, thickly sliced

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

4 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of salt

Ice cream or crème fraîche

CANDIED APPLE GARNISH
: Combine apple cider, apples, and sugar in large pot. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until apples are soft and translucent and cider coats apples thickly, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. Transfer to bowl and cool.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

GINGERBREAD
: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9×9×2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add brown sugar and egg and beat until blended. Beat in molasses, then flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, stir in ½ cup boiling water. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake gingerbread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool gingerbread completely in pan.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover pan with foil; let gingerbread stand at room temperature.

PUDDINGS
: Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine milk, fresh ginger, and peppercorns in heavy medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, ground ginger, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Strain custard into medium bowl; discard solids in strainer.