The clocks went back an hour today, a sure sign that Fall is upon us and Winter isn't far behind. Three cheers for that extra hour of sleep! Dark mornings and early nights are here for a while Dear Reader. Time to dust off the cross stitch project, the knitting and the stack of books that have been piling up while the sun shone. Bring out the candles too! Leaves are falling from the trees, leaving behind a colourful blanket of orange, gold and brown. Summer was fun, but for me, it's all about the Fall. I love this time of year and the flavours it brings with it. I'm preparing to hunker down for the long cold winter so it's not weird that I am craving rutabaga is it? If you are anything like me, your body feels the change coming and and starts to crave stews, soups and earthy root vegetables.
I love Autumn's overcast skies and the shadow it casts over the house. The homebody in me gets to let her introverted self exist in her natural state with no judgement. It's getting colder - perfect excuse to stay home and have a proper Sunday dinner. An afternoon spent in the kitchen, in yoga pants, hair in a ponytail, puttering about in slippers and peeling potatoes for dinner is heaven to me. Today was a day just like that.
Our dinner is nearly ready, but it is the dessert that I am excited about today. Yesterday, I bought a raisin Challah loaf with the idea that I was going to turn it into bread pudding as a perfect foil for the beat up McIntosh apples that have been lurking in the fridge. Bread pudding is an easy dessert to make. Cubed bread and an eggy custard baked to puffy perfection. Add some warm créme anglaise over the top and it is some serious comfort food. The spiced rum probably has something to do with that too!
Apple Maple Bread Pudding
For the custard:
6 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp spiced rum
1 1-pound Challah bread cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (6 1/2 to 7 cups)
For the apples:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 LB McIntosh apples, peeled, quartered and sliced
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
Prepare the custard:
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the milk, whipping cream, and spiced rum and whisk until well blended. Next, add the bread cubes and press to submerge into the custard. Let soak at least 30 minutes, occasionally gently stirring and pressing on bread cubes to submerge and soak up the custard mixture.
Prepare the apples:
Preheat to 350°F. Next, butter a 13 x 9 inch pan. Melt the butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices and sauté until golden and beginning to soften, stirring, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and brown sugar. Simmer until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens to syrup, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Next, mix half of the apple slices into bread-custard mixture and transfer to prepared pan. Scatter remaining apple slices atop bread pudding. Spoon any remaining syrup from skillet over apple slices. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills during baking.
Bake bread pudding until puffed and apples are deep brown, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Spoon pudding into bowls and drizzle with additional maple syrup if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8
I love Autumn's overcast skies and the shadow it casts over the house. The homebody in me gets to let her introverted self exist in her natural state with no judgement. It's getting colder - perfect excuse to stay home and have a proper Sunday dinner. An afternoon spent in the kitchen, in yoga pants, hair in a ponytail, puttering about in slippers and peeling potatoes for dinner is heaven to me. Today was a day just like that.
Our dinner is nearly ready, but it is the dessert that I am excited about today. Yesterday, I bought a raisin Challah loaf with the idea that I was going to turn it into bread pudding as a perfect foil for the beat up McIntosh apples that have been lurking in the fridge. Bread pudding is an easy dessert to make. Cubed bread and an eggy custard baked to puffy perfection. Add some warm créme anglaise over the top and it is some serious comfort food. The spiced rum probably has something to do with that too!
Apple Maple Bread Pudding
For the custard:
6 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp spiced rum
1 1-pound Challah bread cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (6 1/2 to 7 cups)
For the apples:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 LB McIntosh apples, peeled, quartered and sliced
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
Prepare the custard:
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the milk, whipping cream, and spiced rum and whisk until well blended. Next, add the bread cubes and press to submerge into the custard. Let soak at least 30 minutes, occasionally gently stirring and pressing on bread cubes to submerge and soak up the custard mixture.
Prepare the apples:
Preheat to 350°F. Next, butter a 13 x 9 inch pan. Melt the butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices and sauté until golden and beginning to soften, stirring, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and brown sugar. Simmer until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens to syrup, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Next, mix half of the apple slices into bread-custard mixture and transfer to prepared pan. Scatter remaining apple slices atop bread pudding. Spoon any remaining syrup from skillet over apple slices. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills during baking.
Bake bread pudding until puffed and apples are deep brown, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Spoon pudding into bowls and drizzle with additional maple syrup if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8
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