Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, this post isn't actually remotely birth or midwifery related (though perhaps the romantic mood could lead to future births and babies?!)

I recently received a sample copy of the new book Sweeping Her Off Her Feet with Food: The Ultimate Guide to Romance and Seduction in the Kitchen and I felt like Valentine's Day presented the perfect opportunity to share one of the recipes (with permission, of course!) with the birth world :)

I have always been a fan of bread pudding and this recipe sounds GOOD! (especially the modification at the end with the addition of white chocolate squares.)

Enjoy and have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

--
Molly
CfM Blogger


The Best Bread Pudding She's Ever Had

1 loaf French bread, cut into cubes and dried 2-3 hours
2 1/2 sticks melted butter (1/2 pound)
5 eggs
2 yolks
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread cubes in a 12” x 9” baking dish. Pour butter over bread cubes and mix together until butter is soaked into the bread. Combine next 9 ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk until well blended. Pour mixture (custard) over bread cubes and gently mix until all cubes are moist with the custard. Let stand for 3 minutes. Pour remaining butter over the top, then sprinkle brown sugar over that, making sure some of the sugar mixes with the butter. Place in center of oven and bake for 50 minutes or until pudding feels firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Top should be deep golden brown. Serve with Crème Anglaise (recipe follows) or Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream…I’m sorry I just love Haagen Dazs!

*Note: Though my girlfriend Trudi loves the this original recipe best, my favorite modification is to substitute the raisins with 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, 3/4 cup macadamia nuts and 1 bar of white chocolate rectangles (not the baking squares—more like the thinner chocolate bar) broken into pieces. Cut the cinnamon and nutmeg quantities in half. Also substitute White Crème de Cacao for bourbon in the Crème Anglaise. Oh yeah! … Can you feel me, bruh!?

Bourbon Crème Anglaise

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
A shot of bourbon or whiskey (2 if you’re feeling thirsty--3 if you’re feeling thirsty and she’s feeling frisky!)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine yolks and sugar and whisk until well blended. Place milk, cream and vanilla in a medium sauté pan and warm on medium-high heat. When cream mixture reaches a soft boil, take 1/4 of the warm cream and add it to the yolk mixture, whisking gently until well blended. Turn remainder of the cream to high heat and slowly whisk in yolk mixture until sauce comes to a boil. Let boil no longer than 5 seconds while whisking vigorously. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes; then chill in fridge for at least an hour. When sauces cools, stir in bourbon until well blended.

Serve when ready.