With several relatives in town this weekend (my mom, brother, and Jeff’s sister) and a busy schedule all around, we planned a last-minute brunch as a chance to see everyone. I fixed a baked egg dish and a peach bread pudding, both of which turned out well, though in the rush of things I forgot to take pictures!
I’ve been saving this recipe for quite some time. If you don’t know Sara Foster… well, you must not live in NC and even then, you should feel very deprived. My family demands a trip to Foster’s Market each time they visit and I’m pretty sure it’s part of the reason my brother decided to attend college here next year. This bread pudding recipe is from the cookbook “Fresh Every Day.” The note at the beginning suggests substituting any day-old bread, biscuits, or cake. Well, since we were at Foster’s Saturday morning, I thought I might as well use something to continue the Foster’s theme. They had some day old coconut muffins. Since coconut is one of my favorite flavors, as well as a favorite of several other family members, I couldn’t resist.
Sweet Fruit-Full Breakfast Bread Pudding
Serves 10-12
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
6 cups 1 1/2-inch cubes day-old country Italian or French bread (or any day-old bread, biscuits, or cake)
2 cups fresh or frozen fruit (such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, pitted cherries, sliced peaches, nectarines, or plums)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or spray with vegetable oil spray.
Stir the buttermilk, half-and-half, eggs, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes and let them sit in the liquid for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread is soft and has absorbed almost all the liquid. Add the fruit and stir gently to combine. Pour the bread into the buttered baking dish, making sure to get all the liquid out of the bowl.
Cut a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to cover the baking dish, grease the foil with butter, and place it, buttered side down, over the baking dish. Bake the bread pudding for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the top is golden brown and crispy.
While the bread pudding is baking, whisk the butter and cream together in a small bowl. Slowly add the sifted confectioner’s sugar, whisking until the glaze is smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the still-warm pudding. Serve warm.
From Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster
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These eggs were really delicious and would be easy to prepare ahead of time. It’s nice to have them in individual dishes. Since I have half the ham leftover they might be in our future this weekend!
Eggs with Cream, Spinach, and Country Ham
Serves 8
1/4 cup thinly sliced country ham, finely chopped
Scant 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
3/4 tsp. finely chopped garlic
10 oz. spinach, coarse stems discarded
8 large eggs
Equipment: 8 (6-oz.) ramekins or ovenproof teacups
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in the middle.
Bring ham and cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then remove from heat. Let steep, uncovered, about 10 minutes.
Cook onion in 1 tbsp. butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add spinach, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper and cook, turning with tongs, until spinach is wilted.
Drain spinach in a colander, pressing to remove excess liquid, then coarsely chop. Divide spinach, then ham, among ramekins, spooning 1 tbsp. cream into each serving. Crack eggs into ramekins and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 tsp. cream over each egg. Cut remaining tbsp. butter into 8 small pieces and dot each egg with butter.
Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 15 to 20 minutes, removing from oven as cooked.
From Gourmet
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