Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding is an old fashioned dessert that had its humble beginnings in 13th century England. It was first known as a "poor man's pudding" as it was made from stale leftover bread that was simply moistened in water, to which a little sugar, spices and other ingredients were added.
Fast forward to today and you will find that we still make our bread puddings with bread but the breads we use are often made especially for this dessert. The types are wide ranging; from brioche, challah, croissant, and panettone, to French, Italian and sometimes even raisin bread or scones. And unlike bread puddings of the past, we now moisten the bread in a rich mixture (really a custard) of cream, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and spices. It is no longer a poor man's pudding.It is now a rich, creamy, decadent dessert that has made its way onto the dessert menus of many fine restaurants.

To make a Bread Pudding the bread is first cut into bit sized cubes and the choice of whether to remove the bread crusts is yours. The cubes of bread are then placed in a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan. Then we need to make the custard which is then poured over the bread cubes. You can add chopped nuts, pieces of chocolate, lemon or orange zest, a little alcohol, candied, dried or even fresh fruits to the pudding for more flavor and texture.
The one thing to take note of, though, is that this pudding is baked in a water bath. Awater bath starts with a large shallow pan (usually a roasting pan of some sort) that is big enough to hold a smaller pan that is filled with a delicate food. It is best to place a clean dish towel on the bottom of the large roasting pan to prevent the dish from moving about during baking. Once you have placed the smaller dish inside the large roasting pan, hot water is poured into the larger pan until it reaches about halfway up the outside of the smaller dish containing the food. This is then placed in a slow oven. We do this because a water bath prevents delicate foods, like this bread pudding, from burning, drying out, or curdling(when a milk or egg mixture separates into its liquid and solid components). Just make sure tooccasionally check the water level during the baking time, adding more hot water as necessary. 

Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Lightly grease with butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x 33 x 5 cm) heatproof baking dish. Place the baking dish into a larger roasting pan that has enough room around its sides to fill with water. Place the bread cubes and fruit (if using) in the baking dish. Custard: In an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and lemon colored (about 4-5 minutes) (when beater is raised the batter will fall back into bowl in a slow ribbon). Beat in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Then beat in the melted and cooled butter and half and half (light cream).   Assemble: Carefully pour (or ladle) the prepared custard over the bread cubes until completely covered. Press down the bread cubes so they are covered with the custard. Prepare a water bath (A water bath is used to provide temperature protection for the egg custard.) Carefully pour in enough hot water so that the water is halfway up sides of the 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to judge whether the pudding is fully baked, is to gently press down on the center of the pudding. If any custard comes up to the top, the pudding needs to be baked a little longer. Remove the bread pudding from the water bath and cool slightly before serving.   Can be served warm or cold with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and a dollop of softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Makes one 9 x 13 bread pudding (serves about 8 - 10 people)

Bread Pudding: 8 - 10 cups of bread cubes, cut into bite sized pieces Note:  Breads to use - French, Broiche, Challah, Croissant, Italian, and/or Panettone. The bread can be fresh or stale and crusts can be left on or removed. You can also use day old scones. Fruit: (Optional) - 1 large peeled and cored apple, diced - 1 cup sultanas (raisins) Custard: 4 large eggs 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar 1 1 /2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 4 cups (960 ml) of either half & half cream (10-18% butterfat), milk, light cream (18-30% butterfat) or a combination thereof Variation:  Can replace 2 tablespoons of the milk/cream with 2 tablespoons of brandy or rum.

Tapioca Pudding

Tapioca Pudding is a sweet milk based dessert with a creamy texture and flavor. With the right recipe, this pudding is delicious and looks so enticing when served in pretty bowls with a nice dollop of whipped cream and a few chopped pistachio nuts sprinkled on top. Unfortunately tapioca pudding has gotten a bad rapt over the years as it is often poorly made and children have been known to call it derogatory names like fish-eyes, frog spawn, and frog-eyes. I hope to change all that with this recipe.

Now, what type of tapioca do we use to make tapioca pudding? Tapioca (pronounced tap-ee-oh-kah) comes from the root of the starchy cassava plant, also called manioc or tapioca plant, which grows in tropical regions of the world. There are two forms of tapioca that can be used to make tapioca pudding, either the tiny-grained quick-cooking tapioca (also called minute or instant tapioca) or the pellet tapioca (more commonly known as pearl or bead tapioca) which comes in small and large sizes. I prefer the quick-cooking tapioca (used in this recipe) for a few reasons; I like its texture, it does not need to be soaked, and it is a lot easier to find (it is carried in every grocery store whereas the pearl tapioca is mainly found in specialty stores). Quick-cooking tapioca is tapioca that has been pre-cooked (think of par-boiled rice) and dehydrated so the tiny pellets need no soaking, they only need to be moistened and heated in order for the tiny pellets to swell and become opaque in color. Tapioca has the advantage of a long shelf life. It can be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for 2 - 3 years.

To produce a creamy flavored tapioca pudding I like to use a combination of heavy (whipping) cream and milk, and it is important to use whole milk. If you use low fat milk, the pudding will have a watery texture with little flavor. To make tapioca pudding you mix together, in a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan, the milk, cream, sugar, salt, one beaten egg, and tapioca. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes to moisten the tapioca, and then all you need to do is place the saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. To prevent scorching stir the pudding constantly but slowly. When the pudding comes to a full boil, remove from heat and stir in one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Let the pudding cool for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir the pudding. You will notice at this point, while the tapioca has started to swell and become opaque in color, the pudding still seems quite thin and you may wonder if there should have been more tapioca used. Do not worry, you have used enough tapioca because I find if you use any more than the called for 2 1/2 tablespoons, the texture of the pudding is too thick and jelly-like. So be patient because as the pudding chills (about four hours, or even overnight) it will continue to thicken.

There are a few ways to serve tapioca pudding. You could serve it plain with no garnish. Or, like me, you can enjoy your tapioca pudding with a dollop of whipped cream and maybe a sprinkling of nuts. Others prefer their pudding with a dollop of jam or a fruit sauce, such as raspberry, strawberry, or red currant. No matter the way, this pudding is sure to please.

Tapioca Pudding Recipe:In a medium sized, heavy bottomed saucepan combine the milk, cream, salt, sugar, tapioca, and beaten egg. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Place the saucepan over medium heat and, stirring slowly but constantly, bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Let the pudding cool, untouched, in the saucepan for 20 minutes. (The pudding will still be quite thin after this time.) Stir the pudding and then pour it into your serving cups or bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours, or even overnight.

If desired, garnish with lightly sweetened whipped cream and chopped nuts. Can also serve with fruit sauces or jams.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Tapioca Pudding Recipe:

2 cups (480 ml) whole milk

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy (whipping) cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (65 gram) granulated Whites

2 1/2 tablespoons quick-cooking (minute or instant) tapioca

1 large egg, well beaten

1 teaspoon purevanillaextract

Garnish:(Optional)

Lightly sweetened whipped cream

chopped pistachios or walnuts

Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding is a dessert made with creamy vanilla pudding (or custard), slices of sweet banana, and crunchy vanilla wafers (or ladyfingers). Some like to layer this dessert, like an English Trifle, so you can see the separate layers of pudding, banana slices, and vanilla wafers. Others like to just mix everything together in one big bowl, so each delicious spoonful has a little pudding, some banana, and some vanilla wafers. Your choice. History seems to suggest that Banana Pudding originated in the Southern States and Southerners often like to top their Banana Pudding with a meringue. However, I am partial to whipped cream and that is the topping I have used in this recipe. I also like to dress the top of each pudding with more sliced bananas and whole vanilla wafers. I am also not against some shavings of chocolate.

The vanilla pudding we are making here is really a 'cooked' custard. There is only one real difference between a pudding and a custard and that is cornstarch (corn flour). Cornstarch is added to a cooked pudding so it becomes thick enough to eat with a spoon. The important thing is that they have to be cooked carefully as we do not want lumps or even worse, scorching. So keep the heat fairly low and use a heavy bottomed saucepan, making sure that you stir constantly with a large heatproof rubber spatula. When stirring it is important to reach the bottom, sides and corners of the saucepan to prevent the pudding from sticking and scorching. Once the pudding has become thick, like mayonnaise, remove it from the heat and add the butter and vanilla extract. Then strain the pudding to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.

If you are using Ladyfingers, instead of vanilla wafers, I like to use a commercial brand because they are thicker and their texture, crisp yet very absorbent, keeps its shape. Ladyfingers are finger-shaped cookies that are about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide (8 x 3.5 cm) that are made with a sponge cake batter. They are called Savoiardi in Italy and are so named because they come from Savoy Italy.

The origin & evolution of British pudding

To focus attention on British usage (of the word pudding) is legitmate, since pudding may be claimed as a British invention, and is certainly a characteristic dish of British cuisine...It seems that the ancestor of the term was the Latin word botellus, meaning sausage, from which came boudin and also pudding. Puddings in all their varity and glory may be seen as the multiple descendants of a Roman sausage. The Haggis, buy its nature and the ways it is prepared, illuminates the connection. In the Middle Ages the black pudding (blood sausages) was joined by the white pudding, which was also made in a sausage skin, or sometimes a stomach lining...White pudding was almost completely cereal in composition, usually containing a suet and breadcrumb mixture. It was variously enriched and flavoured, and there were sweet versions. In diverging from these origins English cooks found two paths which could be taken to advance pudding cookery. The first was to take advantage of th fact that by the 16th century many ordinary houses had small ovens built into the chimney breast, or at the side of the main bread oven where there was one. These ovens were not very hot. It was possible to bake a white pudding mixture or a cereal pottage slowly enough to suit it. Often, it was enclosed in pastry...this path led to baked puddings. The second path involved finding a different container to replace the gut used for sausages...The breakthrough came when the pudding-cloth was invented, around the beginning of the 17th century...During the 18th century, suet mixtures were joined by the first sponge puddings, and boiled and baked batters became common. Sweet puddings included all kinds of fruits, jam, spices, meringue, and other delicacies. Plain puddings remained important. Among savoury types, the first beef steak and mutton puddings appeared. Sweet milk pottages made with cereals such as rice or barley persisted. As new kinds of starchy product began to be imported...these were also adopted for that purpse...The disappearance of domestic servants in the 20th century brought further changes. The pudding-cloth was found to be difficult for housewives...boiled pudding were now almost made in basins covered with greased paper and foil and steamed partly immersed in water. Thus did the British steamed pudding come fully into its own. Roll-shaped puddings were either converted to basin format or baked in specially made tubular tins.

The History Of Pudding

The history of pudding is a complicated topic. Why? Though time, many different kinds of foods have been known by this name. The creamy, rich pudding dessert think of today is more closely related to custard. The history of custard is likewise ancient. This food followed a separate, though parallel, path that managed to converge with pudding in 19th century America.

Food historians generally agree the first puddings made by ancient cooks produced foods similar to sausages. The British claim pudding  as part of their culinary heritage. Medieval puddings (black and white) were still mostly meat-based. 17th century English puddings were either savory (meat-based) or sweet (flour, nuts & sugar) and were typically boiled in special pudding bags. The "pease porridge" most of us know from the old nursery rhyme was most likely a simple boiled pudding of pease meal. By the latter half 18th century traditional English puddings no longer included meat. 19th century puddings were still boiled but the finished product was more like cake. These puddings are still traditionally served at Christmas time. Plum pudding (aka Christmas pudding)is a prime example. Modern steamed puddings decend from this tradition. 

About custard? Ancient Roman cooks recognized the binding properties of eggs. They were experts at creating several egg-based dishes, most notably patinae, crustades and omlettes. These foods were either savory (made with cheese, meat, pepper etc.) or sweet (flavored with honey, nuts, cinnamon etc.). Food historians generally agree that custard, the sweet almost pudding-like substance we Americans know today, dates to the Middle ages. At that time custard was eaten alone or used as fillings for pies, tarts, pastry, etc. Flan is probably the the most famous and widely adapted custard dessert in the world. It is important to note that custard was not unique to Europe. Similar recipes flourished in Asia.

The distinction between European custard and American pudding became muddled sometime in the 1840s. At that time in America, traditional boiled puddings were no longer necessary to feed the average family. There was plenty of food. This also happened to be the same time when Alfred Bird, an English chemist, introduced custard powder as an alternative to egg thickeners. It wasn't long before Americans began using custard powder and other cornstarch derivatives as thickeners for custard-type desserts. This proved quite useful for overlander (conestoga wagon) cooks who did not have ready access to a reliable supply of fresh eggs.
In the last decades of the 19th century some American social reformers and food companies endeavored to promote these products as health food. American custards and puddings converged and were thusly marketed for their nutritional benevolence with special emphasis on invalids and children. Yes, this means chocolate pudding was perceived by some as a health food. Late 19th century cookbooks and company brochures (Jell-0, Royal) were replete with "quick" custard and pudding recipes, often touting arrowroot and tapicoca as the healthy ingredients. By the 1930s instant custard & pudding mixes were readily available to the American public. We gobbled them up.
Some pudding-type foods have been considered healthy since ancient times. Case in point: rice pudding. This ancient recipe was traditionally prescribed for the young and infirm. The formulas was inscribed in medical texts before it showed up in cookbooks. Tapioca, arrowroot, and cornstarch puddings (made from new world thickeners) were later recommended as restoratives.