RECIPE: BESSIE'S CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD PUDDING

This recipe was shared with me by my good friend and former producer, Jason Burnett. You may remember him from the Homemade podcast. He interviewed me for one of the episodes. Meet Martie: Homemade Podcast Episode 14: Meet Martie Duncan

Bessie was Jason’s beloved grandmother and this is her recipe, with a few tweaks. It is my favorite bread pudding for the holidays; try it and you’ll serve it every year.

CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD PUDDING 

1 large baguette, brioche loaf or other bread like leftover rolls, torn or cut into cubes

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

2/3 cup Craisins or dried cranberries

5 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange zest

scant pinch kosher salt

1 quart heavy cream (or you can use half and half)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh grated is best)

 Slice or tear bread into 1" cubes allow to sit out 2 hours.

Pour Grand Marnier over cranberries and allow to soak for 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

Add eggs and sugar to an extra-large bowl; whisk together well. Add vanilla, zest, salt and cream. Add the dried cranberries plus Grand Marnier. Mix well. Add bread. Allow to soak for an hour, pushing it down into the liquid.  

When ready to bake, butter a large heatproof casserole dish. Check the bread by pulling a cube apart to make sure it is soaked through and not dry in the center. Remove the bread from the liquid, one large spoonful at a time and place into the prepared casserole dish. Once you have added all the bread, pour the liquid over it. Push any exposed cranberries into the bread because they will burn.

Put the dish into the preheated 350˚ F oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until it is set and golden brown. How long you bake it will depend on how deep your dish is. You will need less time if it is a shallow dish.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN ROULAGE aka PUMPKIN ROLL OR PUMPKIN ROULADE

Roulage… does anyone remember when I made the chocolate roulage on Food Network Star? Since then, I have become known for this dessert, which is quite famous in Birmingham, where I am from. I first learned this pumpkin version from a friend many years ago and then later merged that recipe with one from chef Katie Pickens who was the culinary director for chef Michael Symon. Katie and I judged an episode of Beat Bobby Flay. This is one of my holiday favorites as it bakes quickly, and you can make it a few days in advance. It freezes beautifully. The only special equipment you need is a jelly roll pan and parchment paper.

A half sheet pan is too large so make sure you use an actual 11 x 15-inch jelly roll pan.

PUMPKIN ROULAGE/PUMPKIN ROLL

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

CAKE:

2/3 cup Libby’s brand canned pure pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

Zest of 1 orange

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

FILLING:

8 ounces whole cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup Confectioners sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the Cake: Prep an 11 x 15 inch jelly roll pan by lightly spraying with cooking spray. Add parchment paper, slightly larger than the pan. Lightly spray again. Set asie.

Whisk pumpkin, sugar, and eggs together in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until smooth. Spread into the pan. Shake to even out the batter. Drop the pan twice to remove air bubbles. If you see any on the top, prick them with the tip of a knife.

Bake at 350˚ for 14-15 minutes or until the center is dry and springy. If any cake sticks to your finger, let it cook until the center is dry. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan.

Put another sheet of parchment on the counter. Dust the paper with Confectioners sugar.

Turn the warm cake out onto the sugar. Remove the original parchment. Use the edge of the new parchment to roll the warm cake into a tight spiral. Put on a pan and into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours to set the spiral. You can allow this to set in the refrigerator overnight.

For the Filling: Add the room temperature ingredients to a bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat on low until the sugar is incorporated then beat on medium high until fluffy.

Unroll the cake. Evenly spread the icing all over the cake, leaving 1/2” border on the other edge so you do not push the icing out as you roll it up. Roll it as tightly as you can. Dust with powdered sugar.

Freezes beautifully.

RECIPE: BUSHWACKER FROZEN COCKTAIL

Summertime… the time of year for a frozen cocktail on the deck, dock- or maybe just in the backyard. There are tons of frozen drinks to choose from but here in Alabama, the unofficial state cocktail is the Bushwacker. You can find them at many places around L.A. (Lower Alabama) and while the recipes are all a little different, the basics are the same: chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream, and rum. While most places drizzle chocolate syrup inside the wall of the glass as seen in the photo from Sunset Pointe in Fairhope, Alabama on the left, the world-famous Flora-Bama does not add chocolate to the glass but adds the chocolate to the ice cream.

You can dress these up for a summer dessert with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Some places offer a “float” on top of 150 proof rum but proceed with caution as this takes the drink from fun to potent.

BUSHWACKER FROZEN COCKTAIL

Yield: 2-4 drinks, depending on the portion size

INGREDIENTS

1-pint vanilla ice cream, softened

1/2 cup half and half

1/3 cup chocolate syrup plus more to drizzle the glass

4 ounces light rum, chilled

1/2 ounce 150-proof rum on top, optional

Whipped cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Mix ingredients in a blender with a small amount of ice. Pour into glasses which have been drizzled with chocolate syrup, if using. Float the 150-proof rum on top, if using. Add whipped cream and more chocolate syrup or chocolate shavings, if desired.