Bread Pudding Recipe (Pain Perdu)

Don't ya wanna bite?

How 'bout something sweet now? This one's Pain Perdu (literal translation lost bread) or old fashion Bread Pudding. This also came out of not wasting; one could and we often did substitute rice for the bread. (remember us and rice) We ate French bread therefore used the left over pieces (in my, not so humble opinion, stale is better. Soaks up more of the good stuff). Rember Pain Perdu. (lost bread)   If one is not prone to like sweets this can be made savory as well.  The ingredient list for traditional sweet bread pudding is as follows:

1 baguette of French bread (tips of fingers to elbow in length)(or equivalent in bread of choice)
2 tbs. vanilla
juice of 2 lemons
7 cups of milk 2 tbs. grated lemon rind
3 eggs 1 1/2 cups raisins
2 cups sugar (the holidays we substituted glazed fruit)
Tear/break bread into small pieces & place in 9x13 baking dish. Pour milk over bread & let soak while preparing remaining ingredients. Break eggs into a medium sized bowl, add sugar and blend together, add lemon juice, vanilla & lemon zest. Stir raisins (glaced fruit @ holidays) into bread & milk mixture 'till evenly distributed. (mix well) Pour mixture into pan making sure that everything is blended thoroughly. Place pan in the center of a pre-heated 350 degree oven & bake for an hour & 15 min. or until browned around the edges. In a bain marie  (which means in french water bath) a method for baking that consists of placing a container (pan, dish etc.) in a larger, shallow pan of warm water during the baking process.    If substituting rice use leftover or if you're making it @ the same time make certain it's slightly under cooked so it will absorb only a slight bit of the custard mix while baking. Either way it is a great way for using "lost" anything the more famous one being Pain Perdu (bread pudding).

Praline Sauce Recipe

Where's my spoon?

 Ingredients:
2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups dark corn syrup          

2 cups pecan pieces, toasted                                  
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar                         
1/2 cup cane sugar (Sucanat, dried sugar cane juice)
Combine all bring to boil til sugars dissolves about 10 mins.  Toasting the nuts intensifies the flavor .  In a dry pan toast the nuts constantly shaking the the pan a la the very old way of making pop corn.  Take off heat allow to cool; both when you toast the nuts & when you've boiled the sugar. Use @ will it's great on waffles or pancakes!

Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Here's one for ya that you can put the pecan praline sauce on! For this you'll need:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup of milk                           
1 tbl. fresh lemon juice                                    
3/4 cups of sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
Blend all til smooth minus the heavy cream. Use a blender for ease. Transfer into bowl & stir in cream. Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker. (if you use a modern type maker you put in the freezer follow which ever one you have per their instructions) To keep transfer into air tight container. Allow to defrost 5 mins. before serving. (yield 1 Qt)