easy desserts Archives - Listen to Lena

I resent the term “basic”.

Used in its current context, it’s used to describe something, or someone, as being uncool or passé. (It may even have ties to the Kardashians, which is a truly scary thing.) There’s no doubt about it; being “basic” is not the bandwagon you want to be riding on.

But you know what? I like basic. I like simple things – watching television with my husband; playing board games with my kids, window shopping with my mom. In fact, I truly believe that some of the most rewarding things in life are the tried-and-true foods and activities that bring families closer together. And often, it’s as easy as a warm, welcoming kitchen and a delicious slice of cake.
DSC_1410a McCain Deep ’n Delicious Cakes have been a basic – but legendary – part of our family nights for as long as I can remember. Fluffy, flavourful and always guaranteed to put a smile on my boys’ faces, the cakes are my go-to treat for family nights, celebrations, or just because.

(I tend to find “just because” occasions multiple times per week. Who can blame me? The Marble Cake is a game changer. And the kids never say no to chocolate and vanilla.) …

Of course, repetitive consumption of the following dessert will absolutely shorten your life span, but for that reason, we’ll just file this one under “Things To Try Before You Die”.

Disclaimer: I accept no responsibility for addiction to Doughnut Bread Pudding and cannot be implicated in the ensuing coronary conditions that are sure to arise from misuse. Know your doughnut limit and eat within it.

Visiting my favourite sites last week, I found this recipe for Doughnut Bread Pudding, featured on people.com. (Photo Credit: Iain Bagwell)

When life gives you stale doughnuts, make doughnut bread pudding! Well, that’s what Stephen Collucci, pastry chef at Colicchio & Sons restaurant in N.Y.C., would do. In his new book Glazed, Filled, Sugared & Dipped, Collucci uses day-old doughnuts in place of plain bread to create an extra-decadent riff on the dessert classic. He, of course, makes his fried rings from scratch, but the recipe is built for using store-bought leftovers.

“Bread pudding is a surefire crowd-pleaser and a great way to make use of bakery items that would otherwise be destined for the trash bin,” Collucci says. “While this recipe calls for basic cake doughnuts, it’s entirely open to customization: You can use any doughnuts you wish.”

The trick to navigating through this recipe with success is to not snack on the day-old doughnuts as you assemble them for the pudding. If you can manage to curb your craving, you’ll be well on the way to having a crowd-pleaser on your hands.

(Defibrillators optional.)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
¾ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
10 leftover cake doughnuts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and bring it to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks until smooth. Once your pot has reached a full simmer, slowly pour half the cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture cool. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve and set it aside.

Tear the doughnuts into thimble-size pieces and arrange them tightly in a round baking dish that’s about 7 inches in diameter or in an 8 × 8-inch baking dish. Pour the custard over the doughnut pieces, filling the dish just so that the doughnuts are barely covered. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes so that the doughnuts absorb the custard.

Bake the pudding until the custard is fully set in the center, about 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Back to Basics. Because Our Life is Deep ’n Delicious.

You Only Live Once: Doughnut Bread Pudding