Weekend Calorie Splurge: Croissant Bread Pudding

I have been talking about making croissant bread pudding forever, but couldn't make it until I had an event to attend where I could share it (Thanks, Super Bowl !! ).  Otherwise it's just me, the Real Housewives and a warm baking dish full of everything delicious. 

OK, let's do this:

Croissant Bread Pudding
makes 16 servings
total time 35 min


1 T butter for greasing
4 big croissants
2 c heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c Nutella (I just found a great organic, fair trade copycat version at Whole Foods)
handful sliced almonds
handful small dark chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Grease a large glass baking dish.  Tear the croissants into bite size pieces and place in the baking dish.

Meanwhile heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat.  Don't allow to boil.  When tiny bubbles form around the edges, remove from heat.

While the cream is heating, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and nutella together.  Slowly whisk in the warm cream.  Pour the whole mixture over the croissants.  Add the almonds and chocolate and mix thoroughly with your hands.  It will be very moist.  Bake 25 min.

Weekend Calorie Splurge: Nutella Custard and Creme Brulee

I like a dessert that involves bourbon.  Hell, I like anything that involves bourbon.


1 c whipping cream
2 T sugar
-----------------------
2 egg yolks
1 t bourbon vanilla extract (available at Whole Foods)
1/3 c Nutella

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

In another pot heat the cream and 2 T sugar until tiny bubbles form around the edges.

While the cream is heating, beat the egg yolks, vanilla and Nutella.  Slowly pour in the hot cream.

Pour the mixture into 4 shallow ramekins and place the ramekins in a baking dish.  Carefully pour the boiling water into the baking dish (NOT the ramekins) until it comes about halfway up the height of the ramekin.

Cover the whole mess with foil and bake until not jiggly (about 45 minutes).  Refrigerate for 30 min.

Now you can decide if you want the crispy burnt sugar top of classic creme brulee or if you want custard with whipped topping.  I couldn't decide, so I made both.  With caramelized bananas.  So it's healthy.

 

Classic creme brulee topping:
Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar on top of the baked and chilled custard.  Burn it with your new blowtorch!

 

Caramelized bananas:
Slice some bananas, sprinkle with sugar and fry in a hot, non-stick pan.

Whipped topping:
Skip the burnt sugar part and simply whip some whipping cream with some vanilla.  You know what's better than regular vanilla?  BOURBON vanilla!  Bourbon anything is pretty much better than regular anything, no?

Weekend Calorie Splurge: Indoor S'mores

Q: What's worse than not having a fireplace?

A: Camping.

Here's how to make S'mores in the comfort of your own kitchen.

OK, let's do this:

Indoor S'mores
total time 4 min

graham crackers
parchment paper
Marshmallow Fluff (no gelatin)
thin chocolate bar

Set the oven to Broil.


Place the graham crackers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Add some chocolate to half of the crackers and a smear of Fluff to the other half.

  

 

  Place the baking sheet ON THE LOWEST RACK of the oven and broil for about a minute or until the Fluff is a little brown.

 

Now, would you like the merit badge that says "stupid" or "easy"? 

Weekend Calorie Splurge: Indian Spiced Brownies

This recipe calls for two eggs, so the way I see it is one pan equals part of a complete breakfast.

OK, let's do this:

Indian Spiced Brownies
makes 12 brownies
prep time 10 min, bake time 45 min


1 stick (8 T) butter, very soft but not liquid - best to leave it out on the counter for a few hours
1 T butter for greasing the pan
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 t vanilla
3/4 c all purpose flour
2/3 c cocoa powder
pinch salt
1/2 t garam masala
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease a baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth-ish, then add eggs and vanilla.  Slowly beat in remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.   Bake in a greased pan for 45 min or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool before slicing.

Remember that time I said we were only going to eat salad this week?  I totally lied.

Weekend Calorie Splurge: Sorbet With Berry Balsamic Topping

This splurge is not too indulgent calorie-wise.  Come to think of it, it does have balsamic vinegar in it.....let's just consider this one a salad.

OK, let's do this:

Balsamic Sorbet Topping
Total hands on time 8 min, chill time 5 min
makes about 6 servings


1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 ish cup of frozen mixed berries
2 T maple syrup or agave nectar
1 cap full of vanilla (use the cap from the vanilla bottle)

Your favorite flavored sorbet (lemon, coconut or vanilla is awesome)

Combine all ingredients in a small pan over medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Allow it to chill in the freezer for a few minutes so it doesn't melt the sorbet.  Pour over sorbet.  Boom.  Done.

Weekend Calorie Splurge: Poached Pears

It's a frigid 73ºF here in Los Angeles.  What better way to get all warm 'n' cozy than with cinnamon and red wine poached pears stuffed with vanilla mascarpone and candied walnuts?

"But Lanie J, I can't make that!  IT'S TOO FANCY!"

Bullshit.  I've got your back.
 

OK, let's do this:

Fancy Pants Cinnamon Poached Pears
Makes 8 servings
Prep time 5 min, cook time 30-40 min


For the pears:
4 firm pears - we're talking apple firm, people
1 bottle cheap red wine, new, not nasty almost vinegar wine (we'll use that for other stuff)
water
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t vanilla extract (splurge on the good kind)

For the filling:
8oz container of mascarpone cheese (available everywhere, even at Trader Joe's)
1 t vanilla extract
2 t agave nectar or maple syrup


For the topping
2 handfuls chopped walnuts
1 1/2 T sugar, agave nectar or maple syrup
1/2 t cinnamon



Peel the pears, but leave a little skin near the stems and butts.  Place them in a pot that holds all 4 without too much extra room.

Pour in the wine a little more than halfway.  Add water until the pot is almost full, but not so full it's going to boil over and make your stove a mess.  I believe in saving wine stains for your teeth.

Cover and bring to a boil, then remove cover and reduce to a strong simmer.  Allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes or until a fork can be easily inserted (but not so they're mushy).  If the pears float in the pot, you'll need to rotate them occasionally with a spoon.

Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients and set in the fridge until needed.

In a pan over medium heat add the topping ingredients all at once.  Stir continuously until walnuts are just toasted and coated with sugar about 2 minutes.  Remove them from the heat and set aside.

Once pears are done, cut them in half LENGTHWISE and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
While the pears are cooling, dump out all but an inch of the poaching liquid and bring it back to a boil.  Allow it to simmer until it's reduced by at least half.  It will be syrupy.  That's good.

Once the pears are cool, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and any chewy-looking internal stem thingies. Place tiny blob of the filling on a plate and set the pear on the blob.  This will keep the pear from sliding all over and ruining the look.

Next scoop a bigger blob of filling into the space you just scooped out of the pear. Sprinkle the candied walnuts on top.  Now for the fanciness.  Get a small spoonful of the syrup you made be reducing the wine.  Hold the spoon vertically so most of the syrup runs off back into the pot - you just want a tiny stream coming off the spoon.  Wave the spoon over the pear, drizzling the syrup like the artful master chef you are.