21 March 2010

Brummy Bread (aka "Breakaway Coffee Cake")
















Note - we doubled the below recipe (I've never only made the serving size below! :))

2 loaves frozen bread dough
1 stick butter or margarine
1 small pkg. regular vanilla pudding (NOT instant!)
1-cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1-teaspoon cinnamon

Thaw bread but do not let rise.

Cut one loaf into small pieces and place in 9” X 13” greased pan (use large pan).

Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan over low heat until butter/margarine is melted.
Pour over bread pieces in pan.

Spread chopped nuts over top if desired. (Who would do that?!)

Cut second loaf of bread into small pieces and drop over mixture in pan.

Cover and let rise to twice its size and refrigerate overnight (we usually just let it rise overnight in the basement).

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.

When done, cool slightly and then turn upside down onto rack, into large serving dish or large box.

Serve warm. (Um, yeah. Clearly)

Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream





Ingredients:

For the tart dough:

1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes


For the pastry cream:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
You can use whatever fruit you want as topping.
I used:
8 large strawberries, sliced
2 large kiwis, peeled, and sliced
1/2-1 cup blueberries
Apple jelly, for glazing

Directions:

To make the tart shell:
Whisk together the egg yolk, cream and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.

Process briefly to combine.

Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture.

Process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses.

With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds.

Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch dish.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (If refrigerated for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.)

Unwrap and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan.

Mold the dough to the sides of the tart pan and remove the excess off the top.

Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.


Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights.

Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time.

Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights.

Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.


To make the pastry cream
Heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl

Whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.

Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.

Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.

Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.

Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

NOTE: Vanilla pudding also works well as a subsititute to the pastry cream. I found this out the hard way when the pastry cream didn't set in time..


To assemble the tart
Spread the cold pastry cream evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.

Arrange the fruit on top of the pastry cream as desired.

Heat the jelly in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until slightly melted and easy to stir. Using a pastry brush, paint a light layer of jelly over the fresh fruit.



Source: Modified as seen on Annie's Eats and originally from Baking Illustrated

Fruit Bruschetta


Ingredients:
16 ½-inch-thick slices crusty Italian or French bread
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons sugar
1½ tablespoons cinnamon, or to taste
1 peach, peeled, pitted, and cut into fine dice
½ banana, cut into fine dice
8 large strawberries, cut into fine dice
3 to 4 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used vanilla for added flavor)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Arrange bread slices in one layer in a shallow baking pan.
Bake in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes.
Brush toasts with butter on one side.

1. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
2. Sprinkle mixture evenly over buttered side of each toast.
3. Broil toast about 5 inches from heat under preheated broiler 30 seconds, or until tops are bubbling.
4. Let the toast cool.
4. In a bowl, stir together prepared fruit.
5. Add remaining ½ tablespoon sugar and ½ tablespoon cinnamon to the fruit and stir.
6. Mound about 1 tablespoon of the fruit/sugar/cinnamon mixture on each toast.
7. Drizzle each toast with yogurt.
Source: Peach, Strawberry, and Banana Bruschetta from Gourmet August 1994; As seen on Crumbly Cookie.