Southern Praline Bread Pudding

This is not your mother's or grandmother's bread pudding. Even picky "I hate bread pudding" people will like this one. How do I know? My husband was one of those people.

Determined to make him a convert, I made this and had him try a piece without telling him what it was. After a few minutes of listening to him say "mmmmm" and "oh ya" I asked, what do you think? He replied "absolutely freaking delicious!" Boom!!! Non-bread pudding person was now a believer.

This is rich, decadent and unbelievably delicious. The pecan topping and the sauce just put it over the top. A small piece is all you need.

You may also like:

Deep Dish Pecan Pie

Butter Pecan Cheesecake

Butterscotch Pecan Cheesecake

RECIPE
Ingredients
1 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
1 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed bread (honey buttermilk works really well, but Challah, Italian or other hefty bread works)
Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the sauce:
Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted on a low simmer, whisking often. Mixture will darken and thicken some while cooking. Do not overcook. Add the brandy (if using) stirring well. Pour over bread pudding, if desired, or serve separately with each slice. Serve warm.

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.ix all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil over medium heat. 

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Jam

A bag of fresh frozen strawberries in my freezer I purchased from a local farm, got me thinking how to use them. I really wanted to create a dessert jam, something that would really zing and be a bit different from the ordinary.

Having read several recipes for chocolate cherry jam, I thought, why couldn't that be strawberries? Of course, there was no reason why it couldn't. Then I wanted to "boost" the flavor a bit more so I added some dark chocolate balsamic vinegar.

Wow doesn't begin to describe this jam. It's sweet, savory, sultry and darn delicious. It pairs equally well as a jam between cake layers, or topped on your favorite cheese on crackers. The strawberries are the star, with a nice taste of chocolate coming though, and just a hint of the tang from the dark chocolate balsamic vinegar.

RECIPE
Ingredients
6 cups chopped strawberries
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup dark chocolate balsamic vinegar
1 package Sure-Jell pectin
1 tsp butter to reduce foaming
7 cups sugar

Method
Place strawberries, dark chocolate balsamic vinegar, Sure-Jell and butter in a large stock pot. Heat over high heat stirring to combine ingredients. Continue stirring occasionally until mixture starts to bubble.

Stir in sugar and cocoa powder all at once and bring to a rolling boil over high heat stirring often. Boil hard one (1) minute, remove from heat.

Ladle jam into prepared canning jars leaving 1/2-inch head-space. Top jars with lids and rings, and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or steam canner.

Remove jars and place on a kitchen towel on your counter-top. Let sit 24 hours undisturbed. Jars are sealed when button on top of lid is fully depressed and won't flex up and down.

Serve with a sharp cheese over crackers, or top on a pound cake with whipped cream. This jam is extremely versatile and can be used in savory or sweet applications.

Store on pantry shelf up to one year. Open jars must be refrigerated.

Yield: 8 - 8 oz jelly jars

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.ix all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil over medium heat. 

Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce

When my blogging friend, Brenda, from What's Cooking America shared her recipe with me for this crazy good barbecue sauce, I knew I was going to make it.

What's Cooking America was the very first website I followed long before I was a blogger myself. Their recipes are tried and true, so please do yourself a favor and check them out. You won't be disappointed.

When making this Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce, I had a few things I wanted to tweak and add to make it more my own. I used homemade Apple Butter and Spicy Brown Mustard, and I also opted out of using Worcestershire sauce (because I was out of it) and instead added a tiny bit of soy sauce, lemon juice and hot sauce.

Oh my word! This Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce is amazing. Hints of Fireball and apple butter hit first, then a bit of tang from the apple cider vinegar and spicy brown mustard comes in. It's a delicious blend of sweet and tart. I can't wait to slather it on some ribs, or grilled poultry.

RECIPE
Ingredients
1/2 onion, diced
2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic (I used minced garlic in a jar)
1/2 cup Cinnamon Whiskey (I used Fireball)
2 cups apple butter
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 heaping tsp spicy brown mustard (or grainy mustard)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Method
Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Bring to a low, steady boil over medium heat stirring often. Reduce heat and allow barbecue sauce to simmer 30 minutes to one hour depending on desired thickness (I simmered mine for one hour).

Remove from heat and adjust seasonings as needed; carefully blend until smooth if you want a smoother consistency.

Baste or slather on grilled pork or poultry and enjoy!

For Canning: 

Add Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce to 8 oz mason jars leaving 1/2-inch head-space. Cover jars with lids and rings and process 20 minutes in a water bath or steam canner. 

Remove jars and allow them to sit 24 hours undisturbed on your kitchen counter-top. Jars are sealed when button on top of lid is fully depressed and won't flex up and down.

Store in pantry up to one year. Open jars must be refrigerated.

Yield: 3 - 8 oz jars

Recipe adapted from What's Cooking America

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.ix all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil over medium heat.