Cake Bomb

Day 63

As a housewarming treat for my stepdaughter, Ali, and her roommate, Megan, I decided to create a dessert in their honor. In the planning stages, I had visions of some of Ali’s favorite dessert ingredients finding their way into one dish. The question of the day quickly became how to incorporate lots of really yummy stuff into just one dish, with a very necessary favorite of Ali’s: Nutella. She loves Nutella more than anyone I know, but to be fair, we ALL love Nutella, right? Trifles and dump cakes crossed my mind, and I even considered an ice cream cake. Then, it hit me.

Copyright, Doug Kapustin Photography, 2014

One of Doug’s and my favorite restaurants near home is Hickory Ridge Grill in Columbia, Maryland. The dishes there include a mostly Mediterranean influence with a healthy smattering of American added for good measure. If you’re ever in our area, looking for a good meal in a friendly and casual atmosphere, visit Hickory Ridge Grill for sure. Our favorite dinner is the Yeeroo Platter (yes, that’s how they playfully spell it!), filled with gyro meat, feta cheese, warm pita bread, and delicious tzatziki sauce. I can’t get enough of it. Here’s the link if you’re interested, hickoryridgegrill.com .

At any rate, Hickory Ridge Grill also has a decadent dessert called a Brownie Bomb that’s nothing short of incredible. The name is fitting since it arrives at the table looking like a brownie exploded all over a thousand other deliciously sweet ingredients, including whipped cream. 

I knew I had to make my own version of this dessert, with different ingredients, for Ali and Megan’s housewarming. And so it was that the Cake Bomb was born. There’s a long list of ingredients in the dessert, but it’s very easy to make, and it’s ideal for gifts or parties since it travels well and potentially serves many guests. 

After I made it, Doug delivered it to the girls while I cleaned the kitchen. The verdict came after about an hour when Ali called to tell me they were eating it right out of the bowl. Success! 

And, to make the victory even sweeter, I’ll add that Ali and Megan’s new house is lovely. Built in the mid-1800s, it’s filled with history and character and so much charm. They’ve decorated it in an eclectic distressed chic style that suits the house very well. We love it, and we can’t wait to be invited for dinner in the very near future. Hint, hint…I might bring a Cake Bomb. 

Congrats, Ali and Megan, on your first home!  

Cake Bomb

Ingredients:
1 box Pillsbury white cake mix (with “pudding in the mix”)
4 eggs
½ cup sugar
¾ cup softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 8oz. container Breakstone sour cream

1 small (~13 oz.) jar Nutella
½ cup graham cracker crumbs 
1 cup honey or brown sugar glazed pecan pieces
1 cup each, milk chocolate and caramel (or butterscotch) chips
1 cup Heath bar or toffee crumbles 
2 boxes (3.56 oz. each) Hershey’s white chocolate instant pudding mix, prepared according to package directions
2 cups Cool Whip 

Directions:
For the cake-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a Bundt pan. 

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add sour cream and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, until mixture is fluffy. Add cake mix and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated. 

Pour into Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Invert on wire rack after 5 minutes and allow to cool completely. (I sometimes put the cake in the freezer for a few minutes to speed up this process if I’m in a hurry.)

For the pudding-
Prepare the instant pudding according to the package directions and place in refrigerator to set. Once it is completely set and thickened, gently fold in Cool Whip and return to refrigerator until ready to use. 

To assemble the Cake Bomb-
In a large glass bowl (I used a glass salad bowl because it had a flat bottom and was fairly deep, but almost any clear glass bowl could work), crumble half of the cake along the bottom, making sure to cover the entire surface.  Drizzle ½ of Nutella over cake (I warmed it in the microwave for just a few seconds to make it pourable) and sprinkle with caramel OR butterscotch chips and ½ cup of Heath Bar crumbles. Spread ½ of pudding mixture over this. For the next layer, crumble the remaining ½ of the cake, drizzle the rest of the Nutella, and sprinkle all of the milk chocolate chips and the rest of the Heath Bar crumbles. Spread the final layer of pudding, then sprinkle with graham cracker crumbles and glazed pecan pieces to garnish the top of The Bomb. 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Preferably, serve within 4-5 hours. 

Monkey Bread

Day 62

Homemade breads and sweet rolls are such a treat for breakfast, especially on the weekends. This morning, I got up really, really (!!) early to spend some quality time with my favorite pup, Miss Emmylou, and to make Monkey Bread for my family. I used a from-scratch recipe from the Food Network. It was delicious, but time-consuming. A friend had recommended the recipe to me, so I gave it a try. 

Since the results were definitely worth it but the labor a bit more than some might like, I went to the market later in the day to fetch the ingredients for a shortcut recipe that I also found on Food Network. Although the Monkey Bread pictured 

Photo by Maggie Kapustin

is the from-scratch version (I dropped off the shortcut bread, uncut, to surprise a friend and her family), the other one turned out very nicely—albeit a bit bready— AND it was so much faster. 

Consider making either one for your next weekend family breakfast. Oh, and please pardon the poor photography; I had to take the picture myself since the bread was a surprise for when my hubby, the actual photographer, awoke. If you’ve noticed, he hasn’t had to take some of my more recent pictures for one reason or another; I think I’ll need to nudge him back to work soon.:)

Monkey Bread
Shortcut Recipe:
Ingredients:
*Recipe may be doubled depending on the Bundt pan:
Baking spray with flour, for pan
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
30 buttermilk canned refrigerator biscuits
1 stick butter, plus more for pan
½  cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans

Directions:

Coat Bundt pan with cooking spray with flour and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Cut refrigerator biscuits in half and toss in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Melt the 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar and bring to a boil; then add nuts. Line the bundt pan with biscuits and pour butter mixture over them.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the pan when it's still hot to avoid sticking.
Monkey Bread
From Scratch recipe: 
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 ½  sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾  cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/8  teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup granulated sugar
1 batch Basic Sweet-Roll Dough* (see below)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes; set aside.

Melt 1 stick butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and heavy cream; boil until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, vinegar, rum, salt and the toasted pecans. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the pecan mixture into an 8-inch-round, 3-inch-deep cake pan or a standard Bundt pan. Refrigerate until almost set, about 15 minutes. Set the remaining pecan mixture aside at room temperature.

Put the remaining 1/2 stick butter in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted. Put the granulated sugar in another bowl. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Dip the balls in the melted butter, letting the excess drip off, then roll in the granulated sugar; arrange in the prepared cake pan in 2 layers, leaving a bit of space between the balls. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the bread until puffed and golden brown (a thermometer inserted into the center should register 175 degrees F), about 55 minutes; tent with aluminum foil if the top is getting too dark. Remove the bread from the oven and spread the reserved 1/2 cup pecan mixture on top. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a plate. Pull off pieces to serve.

*Basic Sweet Roll Dough
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/4 -ounce packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for brushing
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer registers 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, and the salt. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. Shape into a ball.

Brush a large bowl with butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Food Network recipe links: 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/monkey-and-gorilla-bread-recipe.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sticky-monkey-bread-recipe.html

Brown Sugar Caramel Pound Cake

Day 61

Remember that I’ve been baking pound cakes on a disturbingly regular schedule for years now? That has been no secret on my blog, and it’s my pleasure to share with you the news that…I think I’ve found the absolute BEST pound cake recipe yet! In fairness, maybe I shouldn’t count it as “the best” since it’s not a plain pound cake, but I have to give credit where it’s due. This cake is incredible. 

You’re going to use this recipe over and over, and the world is going to love you for it. I fully understand that you are probably not quite as excited as I am, but just wait until you try it.

Photo by Ali Kapustin

 

I found the recipe on Facebook, actually. My dear friend from home, Deborah, had shared it on her page, and the picture looked lovely. So often though, I don’t trust Pinterest’s or Facebook’s “shared” recipes because they are frequently missing important ingredients or instructions, and rarely do they turn out as the pictures and directions promise. Having made pound cakes for so long, I’ve essentially memorized all of the possibilities out there, and these directions certainly looked legitimate. 

So, I gave it a try. The only issue I had was the baking time. It took mine much longer than the suggested 85 minutes, but every second was well worth the wait. Once the cake was out of the oven and cooled, I drizzled the caramel sauce, and it gently hardened as promised. 

Our family shared some of the cake with friends and kept the rest for the week, nibbling here and there as we passed the cake stand. It was rich, moist, dense, packed with brown sugar and caramel flavors, and absolutely beautiful. It was everything I expected from the perfect pound cake, and more. And as if that wasn’t enough, it was gorgeous, sliced on dessert plates next to steaming cups of café au lait. 

Today’s accompanying picture was taken by my stepdaughter, Ali; she agreed to quickly get a shot with her phone before we sliced it. If I had planned better, Doug could have taken a picture of the sliced cake, but it was a completely unexpected and spontaneous success—the best kind, really. Ali did an outstanding job, contributing the second set of photos for my recent blog entries. Thanks Ali! 

Pound cakes are the most comforting desserts out there, I think. They are so versatile and so easy to make. As a child, I made a promise to myself that I’d always have a homemade dessert for my family when I grew up, and I’ve tried very hard to keep that promise. As I sit here writing, this morning, I am really pleased that I made such a personal resolution because I do believe that my family really enjoys having something sweet to soften the hard knocks of our jobs and daily responsibilities. Some days, it’s just what the doctor ordered, to come home, put the kettle on for hot tea or for coffee in the French press, and unwind with a dessert and some peace and quiet. Life is good, for sure, but life is even better with pound cake. 

Thanks to Deborah for sharing the recipe and her friendship, and here’s hoping that each of you will put the kettle on, and have some of this caramel decadence. Go ahead, you deserve it!

Brown Sugar Caramel Pound Cake

Ingredients:
1½ cups butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1-8oz. bag toffee chips
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Caramel Drizzle:
1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray with flour (or grease with shortening and dust with flour.)

Beat butter until creamy. Add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mix to batter alternately with milk, beat until just combined. Stir in toffee bits and pecans. Spoon batter into pan and bake 85 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. To prevent excess browning, cover cake loosely with foil toward the end of baking if needed.

Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Spoon Caramel Drizzle over cooled cake.

Directions for Caramel Drizzle:
In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk and brown sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat, and SIMMER for 8 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes before using. NOTE: Make sure you drizzle the caramel while it’s still HOT. 

When cooled, the caramel does somewhat harden.

(Originally shared by my friend, Deborah Kokinda, on Facebook; originally from Itty Bitty Homestead, also on Facebook.)

Crab and Bacon Hush Puppies with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Day 60

For this Valentine’s Day, I originally made dinner reservations for two at a local country inn, but then decided to do a family dinner at home. My rationale was that we could eat much cheaper for up to seven people if I made a special home cooked meal, including the wine, champagne, and beer. 

The kids set the table, replete with all the candles they could find. We lowered the dining room lights, filled the glasses with sparkling wines and mineral waters, pulled out the good napkins, and our much more cost-effective take on a 5-star dining experience had begun. Okay, it was really closer to a 2- or 3-star, but that’s neither here nor there.

Photo by Ali Kapustin

To begin choosing a menu, I did an Internet search for what some of the local restaurants were serving for Valentine’s dinner, and I went about creating my own menu. I chose to make an appetizer of crab and bacon hush puppies with homemade tartar sauce, a second course of goat cheese field green salads with homemade pretzel roll croutons, praline pecans, and a homemade balsamic honey vinaigrette. I opted for a main course of prosciutto and Gouda stuffed chicken breasts and roasted green beans atop a bed of smoky creamed potatoes, all smothered in a shallot and chive cream sauce. For dessert, we made mini-chocolate salted-caramel tarts, sprinkled with pralines and finished with a generous dollop of whipped cream.  

Overall, I think our family and guests were pleased, and I’d say it was a hit. Because we weren’t planning on sharing any Valentine recipes for the blog today, I didn’t ask Doug to photograph the meal. But, my stepdaughter, Ali, was kind enough to take some impromptu shots with her phone that I’ll use here to show the hush puppy recipe I’m sharing today. 

About these hushpuppies—they were delicious, and so easy to make. Since I wanted to prepare an appetizer that was a variation on the traditional Southern hushpuppies of my childhood, I turned to Paula Deen. Her repertoire of outstanding Southern fare is always extensive, and frying is definitely her specialty. If you’re ever in need of a good twist to most Southern dishes, she is your go-to girl, for sure. I found the recipe quickly, and immediately knew it was the one I wanted to use. I did make a couple of changes to suit our menu, but they were subtle. Paula’s original recipe can be found at this link in case you’d prefer to make it exactly to her recipe: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/crab_hushpuppies

Photo by Ali Kapustin

When we think of frying, often we assume that we need a deep fryer. That’s not the case at all. In fact, growing up, the best fried foods I ever ate at my grandparents’ tables were made in a cast iron skillet. For less mess, I’ll recommend that you fry these crab hush puppies in a Dutch oven since it’s deeper, but that’s up to you. You don’t need any fancy equipment. Just have a slotted spoon ready to remove them from the oil when they are ready and a plate with several layers of paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Have salt at the ready to sprinkle on them while they are still hot and wet with oil too. 

Although you do have to be careful with overheating oil, if you don’t have a thermometer to test it, it’s okay. When you think the oil might be hot enough, just drop a tiny bit of the batter in it and see if it immediately begins to fry and floats to the top. If so, you’re ready. If it just sinks to the bottom and stays, as if in water, it’s not hot enough. Contrarily, if the batter immediately spatters and pops, it’s too hot and the temperature needs to be lowered. 

Crab and bacon hushpuppies can be prepared and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes, so you want to have the tartar sauce prepared before you begin the frying process. Naturally, these appetizers are best served hot. 

Here’s hoping you had a lovely Valentine’s Day and that you enjoyed some really good food with someone you love. Of course, if you’re a food lover like I am, you won’t wait for Valentine’s Day each year to do that. I hope you will try these for your next special dinner, no matter the occasion. 

Crab and Bacon Hush Puppies with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Hushpuppies

Ingredients: 
Frying oil (best with a blend of soybean and peanut oils)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs. dried chives
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic pepper
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup sour cream
½ cup chopped green onion
½ cup very fine bacon crumbles
1 cup fresh blue crabmeat

Directions: 
In a Dutch oven, heat oil to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, chives, baking powder, salt, garlic pepper, baking soda, and cayenne pepper.

In a small bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream. Add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in onions, garlic, bacon, and crabmeat. 

Dip a tablespoon in water, then scoop a spoonful of the hushpuppy mixture. This will allow the batter to easily fall from the spoon. Drop by tablespoonfuls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, lightly salt, and serve immediately. Be sure not to crowd the hushpuppies as they fry. This batter will make two frying batches for a large Dutch oven. 
Serve with tartar sauce. Recipe below. 

(Hushpuppy recipe compliments of PaulaDeen.com)

Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tbs. drained dill pickle relish
1 tbs. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. coarse-grain mustard
¼ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Baked Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze and Candy Bar Crumbles

Day 59

Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts, fresh from the oven, are my favorite. Just seeing the big red “Hot Now” light makes me pull over my car and walk inside, zombie-like, demanding one dozen discs straight from heaven, all for me. So, let’s face it, trying to duplicate such perfection is futile. As long as we all agree, you’ll have fun making your own doughnuts at home.

Copyright, Doug Kapustin Photography, 2014

There are various recipes we all know, ranging in levels of difficulty from frying canned biscuits to transforming yeast dough. They are all tasty, for sure. 

The recipe that I’ve chosen is for baked doughnuts. It is quick and simple, and it perfectly compliments a breakfast coffee or serves nicely as a simple after dinner treat. 

Before this blog entry, I tested several recipes and found that using Ina Garten’s batter for the doughnuts and creating my own glaze was ideal. For the doughnut pan, I found a perfect non-stick one at Target. I suggest buying two pans so that you can bake 12 at a time to make the process faster. 

I hope you like this alternative to store-bought doughnuts! 

Baked Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze and Candy Bar Crumbles

Ingredients
For the doughnut batter: 
Baking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½  cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1¼ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the glaze and topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. instant coffee
6 mini-Butterfinger bars, crushed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well.

In a food processor, blend 6 mini-Butterfinger bars until completely crumbled.  Set aside for later.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan.

For the topping, combine one cup of heavy cream, one teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, and 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips in a saucepan. Heat on low until melted and smooth. 

Take each cooled doughnut and dip the rounded side into melted chocolate, coating thoroughly. Place on sheet pan, chocolate-side up, and sprinkle Butterfinger crumbles on top. 

Serve immediately or store in airtight container for up to 24 hours.

Savory Bread Pudding

Day 58

My husband, daughter, and I had the opportunity to start 2014 with a mini-adventure. Although he had been skiing for years, Doug was excited to introduce Tate and I to the wonders of the slopes. Thus began our plan for a visit to spend time with some dear friends who had recently moved from the East Coast to the mountains of Utah.

The weekend before the Sundance Film Festival, we traveled to Park City, Utah. Our friends met us at the airport late on the night of our arrival, and after a good night’s sleep at 6000 feet and lots of bottled water for adequate high-altitude hydration, we embarked on a day of local tourism. From impressive ice castles, to mountain views, to monuments commemorating the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, to quaint shops in Park City, and finally to the Mormon Temple and downtown Salt Lake, we toured our hearts out.

At the end of our second day, we stopped by the ski resort to procure our ski accoutrements and to prepare for the next morning’s adventure.  Tate and I were apprehensive, so my husband treated us to ski lessons designed strictly for those of us who have never even been near a ski resort. The lessons were aptly named Never, Ever. With preparations complete, the morning for skiing arrived before we knew it, and the five of us spent the day on very different parts of the slopes—Doug and his friends on advanced trails and Tate and I on the bunny hill.

Copyright, Doug Kapustin Photography, 2014

 
     
     As an aside, if you’re interested in learning more about our frustrating and somewhat laughable introduction to “fresh powder”, you might want to check out the full story from my personal memoir and essay collection. Just click here to read it. 

After a day of skis and cushy lodge chairs, our friends escorted us home, where they had prepared a delectable dinner of pulled chicken barbeque on fresh yeast slider rolls, homemade cole slaw, and an enticingly rich pineapple bread pudding. The meal was comforting after a day in the cold, and it offered an element of nostalgia for our friend whose mother used to make the casserole for her when she was a child. For me, it was also a bit nostalgic because it reminded me of my grandmother’s bread pudding, made from a recipe handed-down from my great-grandmother. In fact, I spent a great deal of time that night, lying in bed with achy legs and arms, remembering how much my father enjoyed that bread pudding whenever Grandma made it. 

The next morning, for breakfast, we awoke to another incredible bread pudding; this time, with pecans and brown sugar. It was perfectly delightful with piping hot coffee and butter. The flavor was part cinnamon bun and part egg custard, and the texture was similar to moist sponge cake, which made for an almost Southern-comfort breakfast, of sorts. 

After two bread puddings and many memories of childhood, I began to think about the similarities between bread pudding and Thanksgiving stuffing. The key difference is, of course, that one is sweet and one is savory. Another difference is that bread puddings have custard bases rather than broth and butter. Once we returned home from our wonderful visit with our Utah friends, pondering the idea of savory bread puddings became a temporary obsession.  I searched through recipes to find one that had very similar custard ingredients to Grandma’s, but without the sweetness. After some trial and error dishes, I found one on the Bon Appétit website. I adjusted some of the dry ingredients to suit my tastes, and you can definitely do the same to your own recipe as long as the bread to wet ingredient ratio stays the same. 

Our clan liked this dish so much that we agreed it might have to replace our traditional Thanksgiving stuffing this year. It makes a nice side dish for poultry, served aside dark leafy greens and carrots. I think you’ll agree that it’s a winning combination of flavors and textures. 

So, thanks to Bon Appétit magazine, and I wish you a bon appétit whenever you try it! 

Savory Bread Pudding*

Ingredients:
1 lb. crusty country-style French loaf (about 10 loosely packed cups), cubed and left to stale for a day or two
¼ cup good olive oil
4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
3 large cloves garlic, minced

¾ stick of butter
1 lb. baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped (or an assorted mix of mushrooms)
1 ½ cups finely chopped onion
1 cup finely diced red pepper
½ cup finely diced celery
½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

3 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
8 large eggs
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place bread cubes in a very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic. Toss to coat. Spread cubes on large rimmed sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to large bowl.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. 

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and celery. Sauté until soft and juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables and chopped parsley to bread cubes. 

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add heavy cream, salt, and ground pepper, continuing to whisk.  Mix custard into bread and vegetable medley. Transfer bread pudding to prepared dish. Sprinkle cheese over. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. 
Bake uncovered until set and top is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting into squares or scooping into mini-ramekins for easy serving or reheating. 

Note: This bread pudding can be prepared and refrigerated, before baking, up to a day ahead.

*Recipe originally named Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese and was slightly modified here. Courtesy of Bon Appétit website. 

Weeknight Chicken Pasta

Day 57

For your next weeknight dinner dilemma, consider this recipe. It’s a very simple one-plate meal that can be made in under an hour. It was a hit in our house tonight—creamy, full of bold flavors, and very pretty in presentation!

Copyright, Doug Kapustin Photography, 2014

Weeknight Chicken Pasta

Ingredients: 
1 ½ lbs. chopped, cooked chicken breast 
2- 10 ¾ oz. cans cream of celery soup
16 oz. sour cream
2 cups French fried onions (such as Durkee)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. black pepper

1- 8 oz. box campanelle pasta, cooked al dente and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups baby kale, coarsely chopped
¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

(For chicken, bake breasts at 350 degrees just until done. Chop in bite sized pieces.)

Combine the cooked chicken, soups, sour cream, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl, then transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish. Bake 35 minutes until bubbly. Add fried onions and bake an additional 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven on the stovetop, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until tender. Add the kale and sauté just until wilted. Salt and pepper the pasta mixture to taste. 

Plate the pasta, then top with the baked chicken mixture. Serve immediately.