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.

Cheesy Mashed White Beans With Kale, Parmesan, and a Fried Egg

Special equipment: Potato masher or food processor

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 2 ounces grated Parmesan (plus more for serving)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups finely shredded kale
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup finely sliced scallion whites and light greens

Procedures

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add beans, cream, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then mash beans lightly with a potato masher. Add water until a loose, porridge-like consistency is reached. Stir in cheddar and Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
   
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until wilted and starting to crisp, about 4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and transfer to a bowl.
   
3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
   
4. To serve, stir half of scallions in white beans and adjust consistency with water as necessary. Transfer to warm bowls, top with sautéed kale then with a fried eggs. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and grate some Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

The White Pumpkin

In this after-dinner drink, the old duo Kahlua and cream get a fall update with pumpkin butter. The wild card ingredient here is Ramazzotti, an amaro with strong notes of orange and cinnamon—it goes fantastically well with pumpkin.

Note: I followed this recipe for pumpkin butter, but you could also use something store-bought and adjust for sweetness as needed.

Special equipment: cocktail shaker

Ingredients

serves serves 2, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

• 1 ounce Ramazzotti Amaro
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 1/2 ounces Kahlua
• 1 1/2 ounces heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons pumpkin butter (see note above)
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Procedures

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Ramazzotti, vodka, Kahlua, heavy cream, and pumpkin butter. Shake until well-chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain evenly into two cocktail glasses and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

White Peach Sangria

Ingredients

serves serves 6, active time 20 minutes, total time 2 hours 20 minutes

• 3 ripe white peaches, pitted and cubed
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 9 (3-inch) sprigs rosemary, plus more for garnish if desired
• 3 cups dry white wine
• 6 ounces London dry gin

Procedures

1. Combine the peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in a large pitcher. Stir to combine and tuck in the sprigs of rosemary. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes for the peaches to release some of their juices.
   
2. Add wine and gin, stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
   
3. Serve garnished with a fresh sprig of rosemary if desired.

White Chocolate Cakelets with Blackberry Cabernet Gastrique

Special equipment

medium saucepan, mixing bowl, stand or handheld electric mixer

Ingredients

serves Makes 12 cakelets, active time 40 minutes, total time 1 hour

• For the Cakelets
• 6 ounces white chocolate
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•  
• For the Gastrique
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup Cabernet vinegar
• 1 cup blackberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
• Pinch black pepper (optional)

Procedures

1. For the Cakelets: Place rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper liners, set aside. Place white chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water and allow to melt completely. Remove from heat and add butter in small pieces, stirring to melt each addition before continuing. Set aside, but stir occasionally to prevent separation.
   
2. Combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla in bowl of stand mixer or medium bowl and set over simmering water. Whisk occasionally and continue heating until hot to the touch. Remove from heat and whip on high speed in stand mixer or with handheld electric mixer until side of bowl is room temperature and eggs are very pale and thick. Fold in chocolate mixture, then dry. Divide evenly between paper-lined muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes, then turn and bake for another 3-5 minutes, until cakes are lightly browned and cake tester inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.
   
3. For the Gastrique: Combine sugar, salt, and water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and cook until lightly caramelized. Remove from heat and gently swirl until darkened to a honey color, then carefully pour in the vinegar. Place over low heat and allow to cook, stirring gently, until crystallized sugar melts and mixture thickens slightly. Add blackberries and continue cooking, mashing berries as you stir. Once sugar is completely melted, remove from heat and allow to cool. Add black pepper if desired.
   
4. To serve, peel papers from cakes, place on plates and allow to come to room temperature. Reheat gastrique slightly and spoon over cakes.