Sunny's Kitchen (38 page)

1
Prepare the baking dish.
Grease the bottom and sides of a deep lasagna dish with the butter. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2
Make the custard and soak the bread.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, chocolate syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and eggs. In another large bowl, combine the croissant and bread chunks and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Pour the chocolate custard over the bread and toss to soak it up. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

3
Make the topping.
In a medium bowl, toss the butter with the flour to coat all sides of the butter. Add the pecans, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Mix together with your hands to blend the butter into all the ingredients.

4
Assemble the bread pudding and bake.
Pour the soaked bread into the prepared dish, making sure all the chocolate chips don’t settle on the bottom. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the dish. Bake uncovered until the edges are golden brown and the center springs back a bit when touched, 45 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool and settle for about 30 minutes, then cut into squares, or just dig in right away. Serve with a dollop of Bourbon Whipped Cream.

Make the whipped cream.
In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the bourbon and sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Refrigerate and serve cold.

a
nother treat from my book of easy sweets is this quick batter of beer and flour filled with fruit. This is great for fresh fruit, but canned works as well—what you use depends on the time of year you want to make this and how much effort you want to put into it. It’s actually a high-low dessert, meaning the lemon-rosemary syrup is a bit fancy, but the rest is pretty simple and easy to prepare. This is one of those recipes that sticks with you—in your head and on your hips. Blame me if this happens to you—I’ll take it.
MAKES 15 TO 18

1
Make the syrup.
In a small pot over medium-high heat, combine the lemon juice, ½ cup water, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar as much as possible, then add the rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces a bit and has the consistency of pancake syrup, about 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and discard the rosemary. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to cool.

2
Make the fritters.
In a large bowl, stir together the peaches, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, nutmeg, and lemon zest; set aside. In another large bowl, combine the flour and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the center and whisk in the beer until combined. It should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. Gently fold in the peach mixture and let rest 10 minutes at room temperature.

3
Fry the fritters.
Pour oil 2 inches deep into a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring the temperature to 360°F. so that after adding the fritters, the temperature rests at 350°F. Once the oil is ready, using a small ice cream scoop or large tablespoon, gently drop dough into the oil in batches. Fry until golden brown on both sides, flipping once, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Serve with chilled syrup.

 

tip!
Replace peaches with 2 peeled, cored, chopped apples; 3 peeled, cored, chopped juicy pears; or 2 ripe mashed bananas.

t
his pie is the next logical step for a pecan pie lover, adding chocolate and even more nuts. As a child, I remember my grandma making the best pecan pies. Since she was a North Carolina resident, a state perfect for nut crops, she’d always have a big bowl in the living room full of various nuts and a nutcracker beside it, ready for snacking. I’d sit and nudge the Brazil nuts out of the way and pick out all the pecans and walnuts, putting my kid strength to work for my belly. I think I still prefer pecans and walnuts as an adult because they were the easiest to crack as a kid. Plus they’re buttery, with such an inviting aroma when cooked. There’s nothing better than the natural potpourri a dessert can create in your kitchen.
SERVES 6 TO 8

1
Make and rest the crust.
In a food processor, combine the flour, a pinch of salt, and the butter. Pulse until the butter and flour are blended and the butter is dispersed throughout. Slowly add the ice water and pulse until everything comes together. Remove the dough and, using a bit of flour so it doesn’t stick to your hands, form a disc and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2
Prepare the crust.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out ⅛ inch thick. Place in a 9-inch pie pan, allowing the excess to hang over the edge. Using a fork, press the dough down on the lip of the pie pan all around. Use a knife to remove the excess crust around the edges; discard the scraps. Spray the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil with a bit of nonstick spray and press the sprayed side against the dough. Fill with dry beans or pie weights and bake until the edges are golden and the sides are set, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake another 10 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature.

3
Make the filling.
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a tiny pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the brown sugar is no longer granulated. Add the pecans, walnuts, and liqueur. Stir to coat, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips, stirring to allow them to melt in the heat of the pot. In a small bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs while spooning in a bit of the warm chocolate-nut mixture until the egg mixture is warmed as well. Pour this small batch of warmed egg into the pot and stir until everything is blended.

4
Bake the pie.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Use aluminum foil strips to tent the edges of the crust and prevent overbrowning. Bake until set, about 40 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

t
here are flavor combos I make in many different ways, and the classic combo of peanut butter and jelly is one of them. From pancakes to wing sauce, I truly adore the whimsical idea of the childhood sandwich elevated to other areas of the menu. This time it’s for dessert and not a thing is missing, not even the bread. Use your favorite jelly, jam, or preserves here; chunky or smooth peanut butter is also your choice. I had mostly grape jelly and smooth peanut butter growing up, but find I love the chunks in strawberry jam and peanut butter these days.
SERVES 4

1
Prepare the ice cream.
Transfer the ice cream to a mixing bowl and add the jam. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the jam so it is streaky and not uniformly mixed. Return to the pint container and freeze until set, about 2 hours.

2
Make the croutons.
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat on all sides. Continue stirring until the bread is golden brown on all sides. Remove from the heat and transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle with the sugar and toss to coat. Set aside.

3
Make the peanut butter sauce.
Combine the heavy cream and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the peanut butter, and stir until combined and melted. Make this just before serving.