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Super Bowl dessert for the Hall of Fame: chocolate banana bread pudding
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It feeds a crowd, is easy to make, and it will win you new fans again and again. You can use this as a master recipe and create a bread pudding with a variety of flavors. This is a classic though, and it never disappoints. It’s a great finish to the Super Bowl menu ideas from my last post, and definitely qualifies as guy friendly.
My favorite bread to use for this recipe is brioche, but it can be hard to find. For this weekend I got it at Fox and Obel downtown. Brioche is a rich and buttery bread that’s perfect for bread pudding (make a killer French toast too). Challah is also good, but the braided shape makes it difficult to trim the crusts off of. Any rich, white bread will do. I’d stay away from multi-grain breads (umm, this is not health food) and sourdough.
I buy blocks of white and milk chocolate from Whole Foods and chop them into bite size pieces slightly larger than chocolate chips, but you can also use chocolate chips. Ripe or over-ripe bananas are perfect for this recipe. Note that you can bake this bread pudding in just about any container, a 9x 11 works great for a group, loaf pans allow you to neatly cut it. Individual ramekins are a nice presentation. Smaller baking vessels will require less baking time. A large roasting pan works well to place a 9x11 pan in to create a water bath. The hot water around the bread pudding pan allows the custard to cook gently, instead of over-heating in the oven and curdling. A great compliment to this dessert is the rich, deep caramel sauce recipe below.
If you are an improviser, bread pudding is great to play with as it doesn’t present the precision problems you get with a lot of baking. Here are some ideas for tasty combinations:
Dark chocolate and cherry
Sour cherry and chocolate brioche
Lemon and fresh fig
Cinnamon, date and pecan
Apricot and white chocolate
Lemon, blueberry and white chocolate
Pumpkin and dried fruits
Banana-Chocolate Bread Pudding
Recipe from Rebecca Wheeler
Serves about 6-8
2 cups ripe bananas (about 3-4), lightly mashed
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar (or to taste), plus sugar for sprinkling
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half or cream
1 loaf brioche or challah bread (Italian bread or hearty white bread is fine too), crusts removed, cut into large cubes (1 inch or so) day old is best
1 cup white chocolate, chopped (about 5 oz)
1 cup milk chocolate, chopped (about 5oz)
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the eggs, then add the milk and half and half and whisk to combine. Add the sugar and vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas and stir to combine. Add the bread cubes and white and milk chocolate chips and gently mix. Let the mixture stand 10-20 minutes, occasionally pressing down with a spatula, until the bread has absorbed a lot of the custard and is not dry on the inside (test a cube to be sure by pulling it apart and checking the center). Do not let it sit so long that the bread cubes are falling apart.
Pour the mixture into two large greased loaf pans or greased individual loaf pans or ramekins. Place the pans in a large roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with very hot tap water that comes half way up the sides of the loaf pan or individual pans. You may find it easier to pour the water in using a pitcher after you place the pan in the oven. Bake until puffed and lightly browned on top, and firm in the center, about 1 hour (time will vary depending in the dish you use). Halfway during the baking time sprinkle sugar all over the bread pudding and rotate the pan. Let cool for 20 minutes, serve warm or at room temperature.
Caramel Sauce
Recipe from Rebecca Wheeler
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter (optional)
2 teaspoons lime juice (optional)
*Please note: caramel is extremely hot and can be dangerous. Make sure you have oven mitts and no kids underfoot!
Place the sugar in a heavy medium saucepan with tall sides. Dribble water around the edge of the saucepan onto the sugar until there is just enough water to barely cover the sugar. Heat the sugar and water until it is simmering and let simmer, undisturbed, until it is a deep caramel color. Stay close as caramel quickly goes from perfect to burned; but the deeper the color the deeper the flavor. When the caramel is a deep amber color, turn off the heat and very carefully and slowly whisk the cream in. The caramel and cream will bubble and steam vigorously. Whisk until all the cream is incorporated. Whisk in the butter and lime juice if using. Allow to cool before serving warm. Can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for a few days.
From the game to the commercials, whether you're traveling to Tampa or hosting your own party, Examiners have Super Bowl XLIII covered!Related Articles:
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