Fruit-Flavored Croissant Bread Pudding #PastryRecipesWorldwide

Ingredients:

Bread Pudding
4 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
7 large (5 1/2x4 1/2 inches) croissants, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries

Cherry Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 bag (10 oz) frozen dark sweet cherries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Procedures:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, beat 4 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk and 3/4 cup sugar with wire whisk until well blended. Beat in milk, whipping cream and vanilla until well blended. Stir in 7 cups of the croissants pieces. Let stand 20 minutes. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Lightly press remaining 3 cups croissant pieces on top of mixture. Brush top of croissant pieces with butter; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle with dried cherries.

2. Bake uncovered 55 to 65 minutes or until top is light golden brown (center will jiggle slightly). Cool 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and water until blended. Stir in frozen cherries. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

4. Serve sauce over warm bread pudding. Store bread pudding and sauce covered in refrigerator.

5. Serves 12

Essential Pastry Tools and Baking Tools for Making Puff Pastry at Home #PastryRecipesWorldwide

James Lyndona is a certified interior designer and runs his own interior decoration consultancy. James especially loves decorating a home in wooden furniture and believes that nothing gives a home as warm and cozy a touch as all-wood furniture and decor. James loves reading up on new design ideas, and has a special interest in space saving techniques.




Essential Pastry Tools and Baking Tools for Making Puff Pastry at Home

Whether you wish to make puff pastry for desserts or savory dishes, it's easy to make at home with the right pastry tools and baking tools. Here's a list of essential tools for pastry and tips to choose them.

Pastry Blender or Cutter

These pastry tools are also called pastry knives and they are essential for "cutting" or combining butter or shortening into pastry flour. The cold butter pieces have to be distributed evenly through the flour before kneading the pastry dough. After mixing, kneading and rolling, the butter creates pockets of fat in the dough. While baking, the butter melts and releases steam which makes the pastry flaky and delicate.

These baking tools have a series of curved blades which are attached to the handle. These blades are pushed through butter and flour to combine them so choose pastry cutters that are sturdy and well-constructed. For better handling and control while blending butter, pastry blenders with easy-grip handles are a good choice.

Pastry Board

Puff pastry needs a lot of folding over to create the flaky layers and pastry boards are helpful pastry tools for this activity. Choose boards made from wood as they are easy to handle and store than marble boards. Wooden pastry boards that come with marked measurements such as circles for making pie crusts and a ruler are an excellent choice. Opt for a board with a non-slip mat to keep it stable while working.

Rolling Pins and Brushes

Rolling pins and brushes are essential baking tools for making puff pastry. Rolling pins come in all shapes and sizes and in different materials. Wooden ones are the best choice as they are lightweight and easy to handle. Longer pins are ideal as they are useful for rolling puff party and pie crusts. Pastry brushes are essential for applying an egg wash or a butter wash while baking puff pastry.

These pastry tools are versatile. Rolling pins can be used to crumble crackers for crust while pastry brushes can be used for basting and glazing meats. Choose baking tools that are dishwasher-safe to save time and effort while making puff pastry from scratch.

Use these tools to make flaky, multi-layered and delicate puff pastry at home.