Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte    (Jan)

Brioche bread pudding

Brioche bread pudding

2021 Brioche bread pudding

Get ready to have something so tasty starting the new year 2021 right!

Ingredients:

One loaf of brioche or challah bread, cut into cubes

5 large eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean or extract

1 tsp orange extract

1 tsp brandy (real) or extract

Dash of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups whole milk

Zest of one orange

1/2 cup drained sour morelli cherries, or dry cherries or raisins

1/2 cup toasted pecans (or walnuts, almonds, any kind of nut)

Directions:

If bread is fresh, toast in oven for a few minutes to lightly toast. Set aside.

In large bowl, add the eggs, cream, milk, extracts, seasonings, sugar, orange zest. With large whisk, whisk the ingredients till the eggs are frothy.

In prepared baking pan, add toasted bread cubes. Pour egg mixture on top of bread, adding cherries and nuts.

Push bread into the egg mixture, carefully not to spill out.

Oven is preheated to 350.  Place baking pan onto a cookie sheet in case it splatters.

Bake for one hour. The pudding will inflate and get golden brown. Don't burn!

Cinnamon Bun Frosting:

As the bread pudding is almost done, prepare the topping with mixing 1 stick unsalted butter, melted with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and 1/2 tsp orange extract. Whisk, whisk, whisk until it resembles cinnamon bun frosting (nice and thick).

Let stand until cooled. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers will be even better.

Serves 8-12

Brioche bread

Brioche bread

Nothing like the smell of orange zest

Nothing like the smell of orange zest



Let's get baking!


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


 1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil. 


Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.


Add to the processor:


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.


Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.


Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.


*if you don't have a large processor, you can use a blender.


Enjoy with some espresso and close your eyes and it will feel like you're in Sicily.