Home Style Bread Pudding

Home Style Bread Pudding

Home Style Bread Pudding just out of the oven
Here is an incredibly easy one. Bread pudding is a good way to use old bread which is around the house. Prep time is about 15 minutes and baking depends on the size of the pan you use, but should be no more than 30 minutes.

In this photo, my pan is deep rather than wide so I had to cut the bread into squares. Try to fit square bread into a round pan :)

I've never seen bread pudding served in Japan but I shared this dish with many of my Japanese friends and they really enjoyed it.

Here is an easy recipe for a quick breakfast dish.



Recipe

6 slices day old bread
2 tablespoons butter (cold)
1/2 cup raisins
4 eggs mixed
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix the milk and eggs in a bowl. Add in the sugar, cinnamon & vanilla.
2. Add a little of this mix to the bottom of the baking pan. Dip the bread into the egg mixture and a layer to the baking pan. Sprinkle the raisins on top and small pieces of butter. Continue this process of bread layers, raisins and butter until the pan is full.
3.  Sprinkle some sugar on top before baking. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for about 20 - 30 minutes depending on your pan size.
4. You can easily adjust this recipe based on how much you need to make -- it is quite flexible. Don't be shy to experiment.

Egg, bread & baking dish are ready


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Kathy
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Spicy Cinnamon Applesauce Cake

Spicy Cinnamon Applesauce Cake

Applesauce cake with baked apple slices on top
I am always looking for new apple recipes. I found this one in the German magazine Baking Heaven  but I added a few extra touches to suit my taste.

This cake is quite easy to put together and you can use your own creativity to change the basic recipe by adding raisins, nuts, spices, etc.

Japan has a large apple growing area in the north called Aomori which translates into blue forest. Apple juice is popular here, but apple cider isn't and I really miss the  taste of a hearty apple cider.

Most of the Aomori economy is based on apple growing and I've seen some creative ways to use apples -- more on that another time.

Apple cake with a dusting of cinnamon
on top

Recipe:
120 grams softened butter
140 grams brown sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
300 grams apple sauce
260 grams flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate soda)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Add a dash of powdered ginger or cloves as you like

1. Sift together in a bowl the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda & spices.

2. Whisk the butter so it is soft and then add the eggs in portions to mix well.  Add in the applesauce and mix. Add in the flour mixture in portions.

3.  If you want to add extra apples inside the cake, peel and slice half an apple and fry lightly with some sugar until just softened. Slices should be about bite size (use about half an apple)

4. Peel & slice other half of the apple to make the decoration for the top

5. Add the slices from #3 above into the mixture and pour into a baking pan at least 18 - 20 cm in width. This cake will rise while it bakes so only fill the pan about 85% full. Make either one large cake or two smaller ones. Arrange the apple slices on top in a circle and cut a piece for the center.

6. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes. Depending on the size of your pan, the time may be more or less.

Cake and coffee is a great combination

Arrange apples on top before baking
to create a nice decoration
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Kathy
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Lemon Honey Muffins

Lemon Honey Muffins


Easy honey muffins
This is basically a brioche recipe but when you don't have the right pans, you just have to improvise.

The honey in this recipe gives the bread extra moisture and the hint of lemon is just enough.

Recipe
300 grams bread flour
15 grams sugar
50 grams honey
6 grams salt
5 grams instant dry yeast
150 grams milk
1 egg
50 grams butter
zest of 1 lemon





 
Bench time

  1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast. Mix the egg. milk and honey  in another bowl.


 2. Add the milk mixture to the flour.  Use a bench scraper to mix and coat the flour. Put on a flat surface and knead for about 10  minutes. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Let rest under a bowl for about 10 minutes.


3. Lightly warm the butter in hands and then put on top of the dough and use a bench scraper to incorporate the butter. Knead again so that the bread is soft & supple. If tough, add a tablespoon of milk or so and knead again. Add in the lemon zest. Put in a bowl and cover with wrap. Let rise in warm place for 50 minutes.

 4. Divide the dough into 45 gram pieces. Roll each piece into a nice ball. Place on the kneading board and cover with plastic and let rise for 20 minutes (bench time).

5. Flatten each ball to remove the air and roll again into a ball. Place in the container you will use for baking. Butter the inside of the container first. Brush with egg. Place in a warm place. Should rise again for about 60 minutes.

6. Heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Brush again with egg and bake for about 20 minutes until browned
  

Brush with egg again before baking

Brush with egg before rising

Muffins out of the oven

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Kathy
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Red Pepper Mushroom Risotto

Red Pepper Mushroom Risotto




Red Pepper Mushroom  Risotto with fried chicken
We have a long 3 day weekend in Japan. Sept 17th is Respect for the Aged Day. How about a holiday for the tired & weary??

So what do I do on a long weekend - bake and cook. It is still hot in Tokyo but not as oppressive as August.  Finally getting my energy back.

Mushrooms are now in all of the supermarkets which is a reason for me to get back into the kitchen. Mushrooms are another of my favorite foods.

Don't be put off by risotto, it is really quite easy. Here is a simple lunch or dinner recipe. Enjoy!!


                      
Use mushrooms popular in your area
Recipe
400 grams rice
1 liter chicken bouillon
1 small onion (chopped)
1 red pepper
lots of mushrooms
50 grams white wine

  1. Slice mushrooms. Peel the red pepper to remove the skin and slice.

2. In a large pan, add olive oil to fry the onions until they become transparent. Add the mushrooms & red pepper and fry until they start to soften. Add the white wine.

3. Wash the rice and drain the water. Pour the rice into the pan with the vegetables and mix. As the water reduces, add chicken bouillon in portions. Add just enough each time to  cover the rice. Use a lid to cook faster.
 

  
Fry chopped onions, add mushrooms & red pepper
then add rice & bouillon
  Continue to add bouillon and reduce the liquid until the rice is cooked thoroughly.

Add salt & pepper for seasoning.

If the rice is cooked before using all of the bouillon, don't add it.

Reduce or increase the ingredients depending how many people you need to serve.

 









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Kathy
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