Sunday, December 01, 2002
make some room: EASY AND TASTY BREADPUDDING GOODNESS
After the second turkey came to the table and all nine pies had been made available for general delectation, I hoisted myself off the sofa and put the pudding in the oven. Yes, an additional dessert was superfluous, but I hadn’t known that when I set it up hours earlier, before the cheesecake and extra coffeecakes and those wonderful italian nougats arrived… so I put the damn bread pudding out when it was ready and wouldn’t you know it, the thing disappeared. Nothing left for Chuckles’ breakfast (which wound up being a big dim sum family brunch so it wasn’t a problem). Out of respect for the obvious enthusiasm with which the gustatory public took to this product or service, I hereupon take it on myself to provide yet another cinderblock for the RECIPE CORNER: this one I got from Narsai David’s radio show, I wrote it out while driving from work sometime in the mid- to late-90s and it’s worked perfectly every time.
EASY/TASTY PINEAPPLE BREAD PUDDING: Take a can of crushed pineapple, three eggs, three tablespoons of flour and one cup of sugar, and mix them well in a big bowl. Get five or six slices of good white bread and cut them into cubes (Bay area residents should know that the Santa Rosa Baking Co’s “Great White” at Trader Joe’s is the best white bread available on store shelves anywhere.) Mix the bread cubes into the pudding batter and then mix in a melted stick of butter (the cold eggs and unheated pineapple will congeal the butter so stir as you pour.) Dump the whole mess into a 9x9 baking pan and bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 350 f. When it’s getting ready to come out of the oven, stir up some Bird’s Dessert Sauce (don’t worry, the US version tastes great too) and after it boils add some good bourbon for flavah. Let the pudding cool when it gets out of the oven, it’ll burn right through your tongue; keep the custard from forming a skin by draping some plastic wrap over the surface. When it’s time to dish out, get your serving first - it might not be there when you get back…
Had I not researched this matter I’d have been ignorant to the fact that custard is a cult. A creamy, warm, delicious cult, but a cult nonetheless… so wear your cowl and cassock and eat hearty - only 24 scarfing days till xmas…
