Serving Up {Cake}: (easy) Eclair Cake

If you have as many helpers in your kitchen as I do, this is the recipe for you!  It is a "cheater" cake that tastes really yummy but is ridiculously easy.  Easy enough that I can pass it off to my kiddos and I can walk away completely, only to return to a delicious, tempting treat.  The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for it to refrigerate (it get's better after a day in the fridge).

I have tweaked this recipe since making it years ago for the first time, thus the somewhat vague recipe proportions.  The original recipe calls for one box of pudding to one 8-ounce container of cool whip and it was made in an 8x8 pan.  I always prefer more of a good thing, so I make it in a 13x9 and double the pudding but I keep the cool whip where it was and add cream cheese.  Totally good move on my part, if I do say so myself.  I admit that I was inspired by this pudding as I made my tweaks, and will even admit that I am not opposed to adding a can of sweetened condensed milk while I am at it.  Yum!

ECLAIR CAKE     Pin It

(recipe adapted from Kraft Food & Family)

printable version

1 box graham crackers 

2 small boxes (4-serving size) French vanilla instant pudding (plain vanilla works too)

3 1/2 cups milk

8-12 ounce cool whip

4-8 ounce cream cheese, softened

1 can chocolate frosting (or use homemade chocolate fudge frosting)

Line the bottom of a 13x9 baking pan with whole graham crackers.

In a large bowl, combine the milk and pudding and beat with beaters for 1-2 minutes.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until softened.  Add pudding to cream cheese until well combined.  Fold in whipped topping.  Pour half of pudding mixture over the graham crackers.  Place another layer of whole graham crackers of top of the pudding.  Pour remaining pudding mixture over the top of those graham crackers.  Top the pudding layer with one more layer of graham crackers.

Prepare chocolate fudge frosting, or if using canned frosting warm it slightly in the microwave and stir.

Pour frosting over the top of the last layer of graham crackers.

Refrigerate for at least 12 hours prior to serving.  

***For a taller "cake" you can use a 9x9 pan and use four layers of grahams, dividing your pudding into thirds...Grahams - 1/3 pudding - Grahams - 1/3 pudding - Grahams - 1/3 pudding - Grahams - frosting!

Serving Up {Pie}: Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie

While my mom's recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie is a standard Thanksgiving dessert at our house, we don't generally stop with only one pie offering. In fact, prior to our move from Vegas, we had a traditional "Pie Night" a couple of days after Thanksgiving and were joined each year by another family that we loved and adored greatly. My husband and I discussed having the tradition continue last fall after our move but my heart was not ready to replace those dear friends and so we will wait until their first visit to Oregon and will then pull out the pie :)
(you know who you are and, yes, that was an invitation).

As traditional as pumpkin pie may be, our family Thanksgiving has always included this recipe for Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie.  It is a favorite.  You can just never go wrong with chocolate!

I would like to give credit to it's source but all that I can remember is that I got the recipe out of a magazine in the waiting room to donate blood.  Weird that I remember it, but it's probably because I tore the page out of the magazine and I would totally chastise my child if they did that to a "public" magazine.  I guess the call of the recipe was just too great for me to ignore.  I have absolutely no regret :)

DECADENT TRIPLE LAYER MUD PIE      
printable version

3 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 OREO pie crust
½ cup chopped, toasted pecans (optional)
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding
8 ounce cool whip

Mix chocolate and sweetened condensed milk until well blended. Pour into crust and sprinkle with toasted pecans.
Pour milk into a large bowl. Add both packages of pudding and beat with a whisk until well blended.
Spoon 1 ½ cup of pudding over chocolate and pecans in the pie crust.
Add ½ of the cool whip to the remaining pudding; stir until well blended. Spread this over the pudding layer in the crust.
Top with the remaining cool whip, or just add a dallop of cool whip at the time of serving the pie.
Refrigerate 3 hours, or until set.

Serving Up {Dessert}: Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise

I must be like seventy five years old or something!  Why else would I have TWO postings for bread pudding in one months time?

I will tell you why.  Because I found this recipe last year as I was preparing the menu for our Thanksgiving and I lost sleep over it!  And I was not disappointed.  If you like bread pudding (which I do) and you like pumpkin (which I really do) this recipe is going to exceed your expectations!

I have already mentioned what a great recipe for Pumpkin Bread this recipe uses.  The bread is cubed and dried, covered in a custard sauce and then baked until it reaches a soft, pudding-like texture.  It is then combined with a Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise and a Caramel Sauce that will have you seriously licking your bowl clean!

Enjoy!

Pictured below: Served the Bobby Flay method.
Layer the Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise, then the (warmed) bread pudding, a scoop of whipped cream and top with the Caramel Sauce.

Pictured below: a great cheater method with the same delicious result.
Top the (warmed) bread pudding with a scoop of Vanilla bean ice-cream and drizzle generously with caramel sauce.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING with CARAMEL SAUCE and VANILLA BEAN CREME ANGLAISE     

(recipe adapted from Bobby Flay, Food Network)

printable version

Begin by baking one loaf of Pumpkin Bread, recipe here.
Once the bread is cool, slice in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly toasted, turning once, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Custard for Bread Pudding
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
Freshly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined, remove the vanilla pod, and whisk in the bourbon. Strain the custard into a clean bowl.
Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in a buttered 9 by 13-inch baking glass baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard.
Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes half way up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and water bath and cool on a baking rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Spoon some of the Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise into a shallow bowl, top with some of the bread pudding and drizzle with the Caramel Sauce. Top with freshly whipped cream. Bread pudding is best served warm.

Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise, recipe here
A great cheater creme anglaise is melted ice cream.  Easy!
Buy (high quality) vanilla bean ice cream and place 2 cups of it in a dish in the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving this dessert.  You want it to be melted and "soft" but not completely runny and definitely NOT warm (thus keeping it in the refrigerator).

Caramel Sauce, recipe here
This is my own variation, basically a simpler recipe than Bobby's, but you could even use a caramel ice cream topping with tasty results.
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk the brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Whisk in the cream and stir until the sugar dissolves completely and sauce is smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Serving Up {Dessert}: Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is probably not on very many people's list of favorite desserts.  Probably not even the top ten.  But I have loved bread pudding ever since I was a kid.  How weird is that?  This is my mom's recipe, which back in the 80's she proudly revamped it to make it "healthier" by using skim milk.  I have just as proudly added all the dreaded fat back into it now that we are past the mistakes of the 80's (low fat and big hair - two things we should have known would come back to haunt us).

The recipe also includes a delicious cream sauce to drizzle on top, but more often than not I choose to save myself the trouble and skip the sauce.  I find that I am just as satisfied warming the bread pudding and topping it with some vanilla bean ice cream which slowly begins to soften and melt down the sides and is every bit as tasty as the cream sauce.  I also generally add raisins to only half of the pan of bread pudding since we have some non-raisin eaters at our house.  Either way, sauce or not, raisin or not, the end product is delicious!

BREAD PUDDING     Pin It

(recipe from Linda W.)

printable version

16 slices bread, cut into 1"cubes
6 eggs
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 Tbs. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and toast in a 450 degree oven for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
Prepare a 13x9 pan by lightly coating with Pam.  Place toasted bread cubes in the 13x9 pan.  Sprinkle raisins over the bread.
Combine eggs, cream, milk, vanilla, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg and blend to combine them well.  Pour the liquid mixture over the bread.  Place the pan in the refrigerator and allow to sit at least one hour or up to overnight, allowing the bread to absorb the moisture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-60 minutes (or until center is set).
Serve warm topped with cream sauce or ice cream.

Cream Sauce:
4 egg yolks
1 Tbs. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Whisk together the egg yolks, flour, vanilla and salt.
Combine the cream and sugar and heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge. Remove the hot cream from the heat and whisk one cup of cream into the egg mixture. Return all the egg mixture to the remaining cream. Return the pan to the heat on low and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 2-3 minutes).
Remove from heat and stir in 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Serving Up {Dessert}: Candy bar Pudding Dessert

When I was a teenager I was the "in demand" babysitter in the neighborhood.  Seriously!  I babysat generally five (if not six) days a week, and largely for the same family.  I only wish that I could find someone to watch my kids that would vacuum  before I got home (oh yes I did - why do you think I was in high demand?)  Why do I mention that.  I'm not really sure why I mentioned the vacuuming, but I mention the babysitting because I have to make a confession.  One night I was babysitting and in the fridge was a variation of this dessert and the mom told me to "help myself".  Oh My Word!  I totally ate probably a quarter of the entire pan!  I couldn't help it. I just kept going back for another small slice and before I knew it....  I probably had chocolate on my chin when the parents got home.  Ugh!  I totally embarrassed myself!
(and just for the record, I think of that EVERY time I tell a babysitter to help themself to something in my fridge at my house)

Just as I have never forgotten that evening, I have never forgotten this recipe.  And while this is not the exact recipe from that family (I was too embarrassed to ask for the recipe), it is a recipe from my aunt and it tastes pretty darn close to what I remember that dessert tasting like on that fateful, embarrassing night.

CANDY BAR PUDDING DESSERT     Pin It
(recipe from aunt Diane)
printable version

2 cups OREO crumbs
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, melted
8-ounce cream cheese, softened
16-ounce cool whip
1 1/2 cup chopped candy (twix is my favorite)
3 cups cold milk
2 small packages instant chocolate pudding

Mix the cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the melted butter.  Press into a 13x9 glass baking dish.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until smooth.  Fold in 1/2 of the cool whip.  Spread this mixture over the crust and then sprinkle 1 cup of the crushed candy over that.
Pour the milk into a bowl and add both packages of chocolate pudding.  Beat with a whisk for 1-2 minutes.  Pour the pudding over the candy bar layer.  Return to the refrigerator for 10 minutes while the pudding sets.
Spread the remaining cool whip over the top of the pudding layer and garnish with the remaining 1/2 cup of crushed candy.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving.

Serving Up {Dessert}: Raspberry Rice Pudding

Rice pudding may not be everyone's cup of tea.  I don't know that it was even mine until six years ago when my best friend and I went to NYC to celebrate our (milestone) birthdays that year.  While we were scouring the town for good deals and good eats, we stopped in one afternoon for a treat at Rice to Riches - a Rice Pudding "parlor" near the downtown shopping.   Be still my heart!  It was like an ice cream parlor with a dozen or more different flavors of rice pudding to choose from.  And then there were the toppings!  Everything from granola to crushed candy to fresh fruit.  I was hooked.  Since then, I happily order Rice Pudding whenever it's available and relish in it's delightful goodness!

Although I haven't had a chance to master a dozen different flavors (a goal I will someday accomplish), I did stumble across this recipe for Raspberry Rice Pudding on a local television morning show a few years back.  It keeps my cravings for rice pudding in check and the raspberry/almond combination wows when I take it to a summer picnic potluck.

Be warned... as written, this recipe makes a LOT!  You either need to be feeding a large group or you need to REALLY like rice pudding :)

RASPBERRY RICE PUDDING     
printable version

8 cups half & half
4 cups cooked medium grain rice
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Pour 7 cups of half & half, as well as cooked rice, sugar and salt into a 4-quart stock pot. Stir at medium heat with a wooden spoon constantly until the mixture thickens (it should take about 45-55 minutes). After the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat.
In a separate bowl, add 2 eggs that have been whipped and acclimated to room temperature. Slowly add one tablespoon at a time of the thickened pudding to the eggs while whisking to bring the eggs to the pudding temperature. Then add eggs to the pudding and fully incorporate.
Add the final cup of half & half, the vanilla and raspberries to the mixture.
Transfer the pudding to a large bowl. Cover pudding immediately with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and serve warm or cold.

Serving Up {Pudding}: Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

This is a recipe that I got from my sister-in-law long before I saw a variation of it from Paula Deen.  But trust me, my sister-in-law and Paula Deen are both sources that I trust completely when it comes to recipes for just about anything!  Take my word for it!

What I want to know is why I never thought of adding sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese for that matter, to my pudding before.  It's brilliant!  Seriously you could skip the cookies and the bananas altogether and just serve the most delightfully delicious pudding you've ever imagined.  But the cookies are cute and the bananas are healthy (hee hee) so go ahead and keep them along for the ride.

NOT YO' MAMA'S BANANA PUDDING     

(recipe from Neesha W.)

printable version

2 bags shortbread cookies (Lorna Dune)

6 bananas, sliced

2 cups milk

1 5-ounce box vanilla instant pudding

1 8-ounce pkg. cream cheese

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 12-ounce cool whip topping

Line a 9x13 pan with one bag of cookies and layer the sliced bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding and blend well.

In another bowl blend the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.  Add the pudding and then fold in the whipped topping until all are combined.

Pour the pudding mixture over the cookies and bananas.  Top with remaining cookies.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serving Up {Dessert}: Granola Pudding Parfait

After posting my recipe for Cashew Granola, I feel like I have to share with you one of my favorite ways to eat it....which would consist of layering it with pudding and fresh (or frozen) berries.  It makes for such a yummy, easy summertime dessert.  I could eat it every day and never tire of it!

Here in the Pacific Northwest, berries are plentiful for most of the summer season.  We frequently go to the berry farms and pick our own.  It is just one of my favorite "perks" of where we live.  Would you hate me if I admitted that last summer I filled and froze 15 one-gallon bags with the plumpest, largest blueberries from my next door neighbors bushes = free.  I bagged and froze another 100 pounds of blackberries, picked and delivered to my door for only $1.25/pound.  Yum!

I do have to make one STRONG recommendation that, I think, makes a huge difference in the outcome of your parfait.  If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, purchase their instant Vanilla Pudding for this dessert.  It is unlike the vanilla pudding of your childhood - made with a good whole milk, your instant pudding will be mistaken for a homemade custard.  I promise!  You deserve this!

Of course, you could always use yogurt in place of the pudding for an even healthier dessert - but when I use yogurt it is called breakfast :)

No recipe today folks - because really, it doesn't get any simpler than this!  Just get out your parfait glass and layer your pudding, some berries and some delicious granola (may I recommend this granola).  Then repeat your layers and prepare to swoon!