It's been a while since I went food shopping, I realized last night as I searched the fridge and pantry - and the cold snap is here, further reason not to bundle up for the twenty block walk. But - AH! One lovely apple, some leftover rosemary bread, and eggs. I always have eggs and spices - and that meant I could make those lovely Fresh Apple Bread puddings!
You can , of course make it in a large oven-proof dish, but I usually make individual servings, using souffle cups or my little ovenproof plates. Tantalizing smells and the scent of apples and cinnamon made it really hard to wait, but wait I did, and it was well worth it. It always makes me think of my mother, who was not a great cook, but her goulash and bread puddings were always filling and delicious.
For two servings:
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a bowl mix:
2 cups cubed bread (I used rosemary bread) I have never used gluten-free, but I'm sure it will work just fine.
1 heaping cup peeled Granny Smith apple, cut in large dice
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted unsalted or salted butter
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a dusting of grated nutmeg
Optional: raisins
Distribute the pudding mixture evenly between two ovenproof dishes and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool before serving. Top with ice cream, cream, or honey or maple syrup.
Guess who is hiding in my pantry? Stuart the mouse, sitting in a teacup! And a mound of gold ornaments , sitting in my casserole dish, reminding me of my stepmother's beautiful bowls of silvery and gold balls everywhere at Christmas.
Isn't it wonderful to remember people with Christmas..in a sort of tangible way ? I like that..and Jacques loves bread puddings.
ReplyDeleteHappy holidays Katrina..to you and yours.
Monique - the older I get, the more the memories come flooding in, especially around Christmas and birthdays. I smile every time I see the gold balls, and the rather raggedy Christmas ornaments my children made in preschool. Hope Jacques gives this a try (and hint - my favorite way is to drizzle with warm cream) - Happy holidays to you!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of such a small bread pudding. I've been trying for ages to figure out how to do small apple pies, for the two of us, and your dishes reminded me of one of my own that might just work. Glad I saw your blog post today :)
ReplyDeleteHappy to help, Lisa! I'm delighted you'll be (hopefully) able to scale down your recipe. Now, I do love apple pie, or even little hand pies - I would imagine you could also make a full recipe but stash some in the freezer, perhaps? What a treat to have when you're craving pie!
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