Cranberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding

It wasn't easy, but I think I have cracked the general code to New Orleans bread pudding: double the cream, double the eggs, and add bourbon. It's a recipe for success!
This pudding, inspired by the highly delicious White Chocolate Bread Pudding at the Palace Cafe, has the soul of a New Orleans bread pudding. But it's gussied up for the season with cranberries, which add a wonderful tart contrast to the white chocolate in the butter and cream-rich custard, and a nice glug of bourbon, which certainly doesn't hurt anything. It's a perfectly decadent entrée into the Thanksgiving season.

Ingredients

serves Makes 8 large servings, active time 15 minutes, total time 1 hour, 30 minutes

• 1 loaf french bread (approx 16 ounces)
• 3 cups (24 ounces) whipping cream
• 1 cup (8 ounces) milk
• 1/2 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 8 ounces white chocolate
• 7 large eggs
• 1 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) dried cranberries, divided (use fruit sweetened or unsweetened for best results)
• 3 ounces bourbon (optional)
• For the sauce
• 4 ounces white chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk
• Confectioners' sugar, to finish (optional)

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan. Set to the side.
   
2. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes.
   
3. In a large saucepan, heat the whipping cream, milk, and sugar over medium heat. Dash in the salt and cinnamon. When hot, take off the heat and add the white chocolate pieces; stir until melted.
   
4. Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the eggs in a steady stream, whipping the eggs as you pour. If you want, add that glug of bourbon now.
   
5. Add the mixture to the bowl with the bread pieces. Add 3/4 cup of the cranberries. Mix until combined. Now, transfer to the greased pan.
   
6. Using a spatula press down the bread so everything is absolutely saturated.
   
7. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until set and golden on top. You don't want brown, just lightly golden.
   
8. While it bakes, prepare the sauce. Bring the milk to a boil in a small sauce pan. Take off the heat and add white chocolate; stir until smooth and completely melted. It's going to be a fairly liquid sauce.
   
9. Pour over the bread pudding right when it comes out of the oven. It may look like an obscene amount of liquid but the bread pudding will absorb it. Dot the top of the pudding with more cranberries, and dust with confectioners' sugar to finish.

Nutella Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

serves serves 4, active time 15 minutes, total time 3 hours

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon cocoa
• pinch salt
• 2 cups milk
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Nutella
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedures

1. Stir cornstarch, sugar, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl. Heat milk in medium saucepan over medium heat until scalding. Whisk half of milk into cornstarch mixture. Return mixture to pan and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and comes to boil.
   
2. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate, Nutella, and vanilla. Chill until set, about 3 hours.

Vanilla Pudding

Special equipment

saucepan, whisk, spatula, mixing bowl, fine mesh strainer, immersion blender

Ingredients

serves Serves 5, active time 15 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 3 cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Procedures

1. Combine milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks and cornstarch to form a paste. Once the milk is steaming and the sugar has dissolved, gradually pour the liquid into the yolks, whisking constantly, then return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring thoroughly and constantly, for 2-3 minutes. To test if the pudding is thoroughly cooked, taste a tiny bit—if it feels in any way gritty, boil for another minute and test again.
   
2. Once it is completely smooth to the taste, force through a fine mesh strainer and chill over an ice bath, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin. Once cool, blend with an immersion blender until smooth and shiny. Will keep for several days in a clean airtight container.

Hummingbird Pudding Cake

Special equipment

9- by 9-inch nonstick pan

Ingredients

serves makes one 9-inch square cake, active time 15 minutes, total time 3 hours

• For Cake
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (7 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed pineapple in syrup
• 1 1/4 cup (6 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2/3 cup pecan halves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
•  
• For Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup (1 1/3 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark rum (or milk)

Procedures

1. For Cake:Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9- by- 9-inch baking pan. Whisk eggs, sugar, salt, and banana in a large bowl until completely combined. Whisk in pineapple (with liquid) until combined.
   
2. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and chopped pecans to the bowl, and then whisk until completely combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake until top is set and toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Wash bowl.
   
3. For Cream Cheese Frosting: In the same bowl (washed), stir cream cheese and sugar until combined. Whisk briefly until smooth. Gently whisk in rum (or milk). Spread over cooled cake and top with reserved pecan halves.