Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey Sauce

I made this bread pudding last weekend, and let me warn you: it's not something you can take to a work pot luck, or anywhere where someone will be testing your blood alcohol content afterward. Not that it's overwhelmingly boozy, but it's definitely there. In a wonderful, buttery, sugar-and-whiskey sauce sort of way.

I've come to like bread puddings sort of late in life, mostly because of my aversion to anything mushy. Which includes pudding, mousse, whipped potatoes, jello, flan, ice cream and a whole bunch of other things people swear are wonderful but I just don't really have any desire to put into my mouth. It's a texture thing.

The reason I like this bread pudding (and the reason some people might not like it) is that it has texture. Yes, it's creamy and sweet but it also has the texture of raisins and pecans, and was made with a whole-grain baguette to give it some bite. It ended up with some nice crunchy edges, and when complimented with the velvety whiskey sauce was a great contrast of textures.

So here is my bread pudding pudding recipe for people with issues. Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine.


Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup Irish Whiskey (may also use Brandy or Bourbon)

• 12 ounces fresh French bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used a whole grain baguette)

• 1 1/2 cups milk (2% is fine)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup whipping cream or half and half
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup pecans, chopped

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons Irish Whiskey
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks

Combine raisins and 1/3 cup Whiskey in small bowl. Soak for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place bread in large bowl. Whisk milk, 3/4 cup sugar, cream or half and half, eggs, 2 egg yolks, vanilla, and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Pour egg mixture over bread. Add raisins and the soaking liquid and pecans; mix gently to coat bread. Let sit about 5 minutes to let the egg mixture soak into the bread. Transfer mixture to greased 9x5x3-inch glass loaf baking dish. (May cover with plastic or foil at this point, place in the refrigerator and bake later).

Cover baking dish with foil. Bake pudding 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes longer. Cool slightly. 

(Now comes the “double boiler” part of the recipe, and don’t get excited about it in the least. If you don’t have a double boiler, all you need is a pot and a glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowl that will fit on top of the pot without falling in. Put water in your pot, bring it up to a simmer so it will fill the pot with steam. Place your bowl over the pot and the steam will gently melt your butter and you can make your sauce without breaking it. How easy is that?)

Melt butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Add 6 tablespoons bourbon, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 egg yolks. Whisk until mixture thickens slightly and turns a lemony-yellow color.

Cut hot or warm bread pudding into 8 slices. Transfer to plates. Spoon Whiskey sauce each portion and serve.

Fettuccine Alfredo with a Kick

Fettuccine Alfredo is something I never, ever order in a restaurant.  Unless assured that it is a genuine Mom and Pop, homestyle Italian place that makes things from scratch, what you get is a goopy, starchy mess of white sauce made out of God Knows What that is either a) too salty or b) tastes like kindergarten paste. Same thing with jarred sauces. Blech.

The real stuff, however, is a rich, decadent plate of heaven.  It was created in 1914 in Rome by Alfred Di Lelio, who's wife had just had a baby.  She was exhausted and without an appetite, so he whipped up a dish of egg noodles, extra-rich butter, and the best parmigiano cheese he could find.  His wife felt better -- and really, who wouldn't? -- and he started serving the dish in his restaurant. Because most cooks could not reproduce the richness of the original butter, today the dish almost always contains heavy cream.

True Fettuccine Alfredo has only a few ingredients: butter, cheese, cream and salt and pepper although many cooks have variations: garlic, grilled chicken or shrimp or vegetables.  And although I like doing it old school with this recipe, today I thought I would try a New Mexican twist on it: green chiles.  Not enough to be a punch in the face but enough to say "...is there something different in this?  Because it's really good."

Because it's such a simple recipe, the ingredients are vital.  Real butter (don't even think of any butter-like substance as a substitute) and the best Parmigiano-Reggiano you can get your hands on.  You only need 4 ounces so it's within reach, and totally worth it. I've used both heavy cream and half-and-half and honestly can't tell the difference if I'm using quality cheese. 

Yes, I know it's laden with fat and calories.  But here's the thing: I make it once, maybe twice a year.  Call tomorrow a salad and fruit day and enjoy yourself.  

Fettuccine Alfredo with a Kick

adapted from the Joy of Cooking  

• 1 pound fettuccine, fresh or dry 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half 
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 New Mexican green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds removed and finely chopped.  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, cook the pasta to al dente  in salted water according to directions.

2. Just before the pasta is done, melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.  When the butter is melted, add the cream or half-and-half and the green chiles and heat on low.  Do not boil. 

3. Drain the pasta and put it in a serving bowl.  Add half the cheese and toss.  Add the butter/cream and toss. Add the rest of the cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  The sauce will thicken as it is absorbed into the pasta.  Serve immediately.

I called everyone to the table and then mixed it "tableside" and everyone enjoyed watching it come together. 

The green chile was enough to give a little surprise bite but was not overwhelming.  You can choose hot or mild chiles, depending on your preference. 

Would you like a toddy?

It's definitely cold season here.  Even though I've been a nurse for many years and have a strong immune system, I've realized that adult cooties and first-grade cooties are entirely different.  So all the germs that my daughter brings home gets spread around here, and surprisingly I've been catching colds. Which is so not like me.  

Everyone knows that there are no cures for colds, and as we like to say in the medical community, all we can do for them is "supportive care."  Which brings me to today's post. 

My Grandfather was an old-time Irish country doctor.  When he graduated from medical school in 1931, he basically had whiskey and aspirin to treat his patients.  Sulfa and Penicillin?  Not for awhile.  So, needless to say, the phrase "do you need a toddy?" was uttered quite a bit in our household.  (And yes, I know it's the Proddy whiskey I'm using.... just goes to show how far I've fallen).  

So here is a bit of my Irish, and medical, heritage if you will.  The hot toddy, Grandpa Whalen style. 

Hot Toddy

Combine in a cup or mug:

• 1 jigger Irish Whiskey
• 1 jigger fresh lemon juice
• 1 heaping tablespoon honey

Pour boiling water over ingredients and stir.  Adjust honey and lemon to taste, and float a slice of lemon in there. Drink one and go to bed.  It will knock that cold right out of you. 

 

Sláinte!