Like most bread puddings, this Blueberries and Cream Bread Pudding starts with lots of cubed bread. You can use a white sandwich bread or a richer bread, such as challah or brioche. The richer breads make an even more indulgent pudding, but most breads will work. The bread doesn’t need to be stale to make a good pudding, even though this is a great use of an older loaf of bread. You will need 1/2 – 2/3 of an average-size loaf.

The bread is combined with heavy cream, milk, eggs, sugar and both vanilla and almond extracts. The combination of heavy cream and milk makes this pudding rich, with a melt-in-your-mouth feel when you take a bite. I always feel like bread pudding should be an indulgent and satisfying dessert, so using some heavy cream is the perfect way to get that texture. Once you have the base put together, blueberries are folded in. I used fresh blueberries and highly recommend using them if they’re in season. Frozen berries can be substituted, but I recommend tossing them in a tablespoon of flour before folding them in so that they don’t bleed into the bread pudding batter.

Once baked, allow the bread pudding to cool before serving it. You can serve it while it is slightly warm for a classic bread pudding presentation, or you can chill it completely for more of a contrast on a hot summer evening. Either way,  I like to add a spoonful of whipped cream to each slice as I plate it. Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator and can be reheated to serve.

Blueberries and Cream Bread Pudding
6 cups cubed bread (preferably challah or brioche), about 1/2 large loaf
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups milk (whole or lowfat)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt until ingredients are well combined.
Place the bread cubes into a large bowl and pour the egg mixture over the top. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to gently press the bread down into the custard to make sure that each piece of bread gets a chance to soak up the milk mixture. Allow bread to stand for 10-15 minutes. Fold blueberries into the bread mixture.
Pour pudding mixture into prepared baking dish.
Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the pudding is set and a sharp knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean.
Let the pudding cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. It can be served warm or cold.

Serves 8-10

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These Buttermilk Coconut Waffles are easy to make and loaded with shredded coconut, giving them not only a nice coconut flavor, but a little extra texture because you’ll get some in every bite. As a coconut fan, I’m always happy to start my morning with a little taste of the tropics.

If you have a good waffle iron, waffles are a surprisingly easy way to start your day. Like pancakes, the batter for this recipe can be mixed up in just a couple of minutes. Unlike pancakes, however, there is no need to stand over the stove because the iron does all the work for you while you do other morning tasks, such as brewing up some fresh coffee to go with those waffles. The point that I am trying to make here is that, while waffles are a wonderful weekend food, they are a fantastic way to get an average weekday off to a great start and don’t take that much more effort than making toast.

I used sweetened coconut in these waffles and highly recommend that you do the same. This is primarily because the waffles are not very sweet on their own and the additional sweetness of the coconut helps it to stand out even more. It is also because sweetened coconut is a little softer than unsweetened coconut and that softness blends nicely into the tender interior of the waffles. The batter itself is a straightforward buttermilk belgian waffle batter that I’ve used several times before. It has a small amount of cornstarch in it that keeps the waffles tender and light.

While I did use a belgian waffle iron, you can make these waffles using a traditional waffle iron, as well. If your iron is a very different shape or size, you might get slightly more or fewer waffles from this recipe, though it should definitely make enough to serve at least four people. If you are serving a big group, feel free to double the recipe. Also, be sure to store ready-to-eat waffles in a warm oven to keep them crisp until you’ve finished cooking the whole batch of batter, so that everyone can sit down to eat at the same time.

I served these up with maple syrup but coconut syrup or another tropical flavor is the best way to go if you have some on hand. Leftover waffles can be frozen and reheated in the oven or the toaster, too.

Buttermilk Coconut Waffles
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour buttermilk mixture in. Whisk or stir until batter comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients are visible. Fold in shredded coconut until evenly distributed.
Preheat Belgian waffle iron until very hot. Grease lightly with melted butter or cooking spray. Pour about 1 cup of batter (more or less, depending on your iron) into your waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions until deep golden on both sides (about 4 minutes in my iron).
Serve immediately, or place in a 250F oven to keep warm while you finish making the the rest of the batch of waffles. Sprinkle waffles with additional coconut before serving.

Makes 4 large waffles.

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These Vanilla Pistachio and Strawberry Mini Loaf Cakes are a great choice for entertaining. The easy to make cakes have a buttermilk and vanilla base, and they are studded with chopped pistachios and strawberries. I used freeze dried strawberries in these cakes, which give nice pops of both color and strawberry flavor without weighing down the crumb or making it soggy.

While I typically prefer to use toasted nuts in my recipes, I opted for raw pistachios in this one. Raw pistachios have a nice sweetness to them and a vibrant green color, both of which I wanted to capture here to contrast with the strawberries.

Mini loaf cakes are a little bit cuter than their full-size counterparts, but they offer a few other advantages, as well. For instance, they bake a little bit more quickly, saving you time in the kitchen, and can be better for sharing. Even though the quantity of batter is the same in a batch of mini loaf cakes as it is in a full sized cake, the mini size allows you to get more creative with the serving and presentation. You can deliver a whole mini loaf to one person (or perhaps two), or cut it into individual slices as a snack during a party. The smaller slices seem easier to serve and eat – even though my observations have not been scientific, but merely observational – meaning that more people seem to reach for them when they’re out on a dessert tray.

The finished loaves are both adorable and delicious. They have a buttery, soft crumb and a nice distribution of nuts and berries. I love the pops of color in the vanilla cake. Each mini cake should really serve 2-3 people, but you can easily stretch it by making the slices smaller. I don’t usually top these with anything, but a drizzle of vanilla glaze would be a nice way to dress them up and add some extra sweetness to the cakes.

Vanilla, Pistachio and Strawberry Mini Loaf Cakes
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely chopped raw pistachios
1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease three 3×5-inch mini muffin pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk. Stir in the remaining flour mixture along with the pistachios and strawberries, mixing until no streaks of flour remain and the nuts and berries have been evenly distributed.
Divide batter evenly into prepared mini loaf pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 3 mini loaves; serves 6-9.

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These Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes are inspired by Irish coffee, a classic coffee drink made with whipped cream and Irish whiskey. The coffee drink will warm you up on a cold night and this dessert, served warm, will do the same.

Chocolate pudding cakes are wonderful desserts that are perfect for treating yourself on a lazy night in. They’re delicious and easy to make, with a two-part batter that bakes into a separate cake and sauce in one dish in the oven. Pudding cakes are often baked in large casserole dishes and are simply spooned out to serve. This casual presentation means that, while they’re certainly indulgent, they’re rarely anyone’s top choice for an elegant dinner party dessert. One way to give your pudding cakes a visual upgrade is to bake them in ramekins and turn one large casserole into decadent individual portions.

The Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes start with a chocolate batter that uses cocoa powder for a deep, bittersweet chocolate flavor and a generous dose of instant espresso. The cake batter comes together very easily and is portioned into ramekins. Next, each portion if batter is topped with a topping that sinks beneath the cake and turns into a saucy “pudding” during baking.  I describe the sauce ingredients as a “topping” in the recipe below because the ingredients are not mixed together before they are added to the ramekins. Instead, they are simply added to the top of each cake (like a “topping”) and become a sauce as the cake bakes. The sauce includes a dose of Irish whiskey for each dessert and you’ll get a subtle hint of it in each serving, though this has much, much less alcohol per serving than the coffee cocktail does. Serve the pudding cakes warm for best results.

The pudding cakes will be nicely puffed when they come out of the oven but, like a souffle, they will fall as they cool. The steam in the airy cake keeps the cake rising high while it is in the oven, however the whole dessert is so moist (there is a pudding layer under there!) that it simply sinks slightly as it cools. You’ll still get the lovely layers of cake and sauce in every bite, however. I like to serve mine plain, but you can use the sunken cake to your advantage by filling the depression with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream before serving.

Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Cake
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp instant espresso powder
or 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Topping
6 tbsp brown sugar
6 tsp (3 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tbsp Irish whiskey
3/4 cup hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350F. Place 6 8-oz ramekins on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in cocoa powder, instant espresso powder and vanilla extract until ingredients are well-combined. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture. Divide mixture evenly into prepared ramekins.
Top each ramekin with 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp Irish whisky and 2 tbsp hot coffee. Do not mix.
Place tray with ramekins in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops of the puddings are set and the sauce is bubbling slightly around the edges of the ramekins.
Allow puddings to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

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