On May 17, I wrote about the amazing meal and meeting I had with the new Librarian Council and partner for Windy City Publishers. I am so excited to be a part of the Council. President Lise Marinelli used to be a caterer, and made heavenly things for that meal. Of course I asked her to guest blog, even in the midst of her busy schedule at BEA this week. I know I have lots of Bread Pudding fans on here, so enjoy! -AA
My grandma Thelma, kept a jar of bacon fat in her "ice box.". Whenever it was time to fry potatoes or eggs, a heaping wooden spoon of the lard was deposited into a heavy skillet where it bubbled and crackled and smelled wonderful. Cooking like that doesn't fly so much these days (oh, the lovely calories) but the bacon fat provided a rich flavor and crispy texture that a 'Pam' just can't compete with.
Thelma also didn't believe in measuring ingredients, she cooked with intuition - a trait in which I believe I inherited. "Just throw in whatever sounds good and you like," she always told me, and I learned to cook by tasting, touching and smelling. Like my grandmother, I rarely follow directions or measure anything so when Amy asked me for Thelma's amazing bread pudding recipe I really had to think about amounts. But as Thelma would say, change what you want. If you don't like coconut, skip it. Fond of raisins? Add more. As long as your measurements are reasonable - you'll be fine. Enjoy!
Thelma’s Bread Pudding
In a large bowl toss:
4 cups dried or stale French bread (or any type) cut into cubes
½ cup raisins
½ cup coconut
½ cup chopped nuts (any kind)
Whisk together:
¼ cup melted butter
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar (brown or white)
1T vanilla
½ t cinnamon
¼ t cloves
¼ t ginger
Lightly toss egg mixture and bread mixture, coating bread thoroughly. Pour into a buttered dish and bake at 350° for approximately 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Top with whiskey sauce and serve warm or cold. Ice Cream is a bonus.
Whiskey (or rum) Sauce
In a sauce pan over low heat mix:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3 T butter
1 egg yolk
¼ cup whiskey or rum
Stir until sauce bubbles and thickens. Pour over warm pudding.
Lise Marinelli, President
Windy City Publishers
(888) 673-7126
http://www.windycitypublishers.com/
1 comment:
As a big fan of bread pudding, I'm always looking for the best. I'll have to try this one for sure.
So far the yummiest ever was the bread pudding I had at Jacques-Imo's in New Orleans...
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