You’ll have to excuse me if this blog post isn’t quite as coherent as it should be but I just got done taste-testing tonight’s recipes and I think I’m in a bit of a sugar coma. Not necessarily a bad thing but if I stop making sense about halfway through this post, I warned you!
Ok, let’s get down to it–4th of July themed dessert recipes are a pain in the butt! Why? Because if you limit your use of artificial color (like I do), you’re pretty much left with blueberries and strawberries to work with (and who are we kidding–they’re purple and pink!). That’s it! And don’t even mention the word TRIFLE. Seriously. I racked my brain for hours and googled until I could google no more but honestly couldn’t bring myself to make the same whipped cream/berry/pound cake trifle that everyone else was making. Then it hit me–BREAD PUDDING. I’ve only recently discovered the nirvana that is bread pudding and I love it with all of my heart. I know, I know. You’re thinking “a HOT dessert? ugh!”. But throw in some vanilla ice cream and it’s all good. Promise.
So here’s the recipe–Berry Bread Pudding with Lemon Drizzle. First, let’s start with the sugary, slightly crunchy top crust. Next, imagine sweet cream soaked chunks of soft French bread, studded with blueberries and raspberries. Finally, spoon on some tart lemon drizzle and top with cold, vanilla ice cream. Are you drooling? Out. Of. This. World.
What’s that? You want a second recipe? Done. You can do this one in less than five minutes–Berry Bark. White chocolate with dried cherries, blueberries and cranberries. Yay for options!
Hope you enjoy these recipes and try them yourself! And most of all, have a safe and fun July 4th weekend!
Berry Bread Pudding with Lemon Drizzle
1 lb. Day Old French Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 Eggs, lightly beaten
3 c. Half-and-Half
3 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 c. White Sugar
4 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 t. Lemon Zest
3 c. Blueberries
3 c. Raspberries
Directions
Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy whipping cream, half-n-half, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until the sugar has completely dissolved. Gently stir in the bread.
Place half of each of the berries in the bottom of the 9×13 dish. Spoon half of the bread mixture over the berries. Sprinkle the remaining berries over the bread and top with the rest of the bread and pour any liquid that is left, evenly over the dish. Gently press the bread down with the back of the spoon and make sure no berries are peaking through the top. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour, so the bread can absorb the liquid.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the top of the bread pudding with sugar and place in the oven on top of a baking sheet (sometimes the liquid part will bubble and overflow..no fun cleaning that off the bottom of your oven!). Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle is firm. While the pudding is baking, make the Lemon Drizzle.
Lemon Drizzle
1/2 c. Unsalted Butter
1 c. White Sugar
1/4 c. Water
1/3 c. Lemon Juice
1 t. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
Directions
In a small, heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, water, lemon juice, vanilla and beaten egg. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool.
Serve over warm bread pudding and top with ice cream.
Berry Bark
4 c. (2 lbs) Good Quality White Chocolate, chopped (or White Chocolate Chips)
1 c. Dried Mixed Berries (Blueberries, Cranberries and Cherries)
Directions
Melt chocolate in the microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until completely smooth. Stir in 3/4 c. of the mixed berries and then spread onto a foil-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with remaining berries. Pop in the freezer for about 30 seconds to harden up. Cut into pieces with a sharp knife.
