Meals for the Family: Desserts

Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings
Ingredients
BREAD PUDDINGS:
4 large eggs
2 (15-oz.) cans pumpkin
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-oz.) French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups) $

CARAMEL-PECAN SAUCE:
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
1. Prepare Bread Puddings: Whisk together eggs and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Add bread pieces, stirring to thoroughly coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 8 to 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon bread mixture into 11 (6-oz.) lightly greased ramekins. (Ramekins will be completely full, and mixture will mound slightly.) Place on an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes, shielding with foil after 30 minutes.
4. During last 15 minutes of baking, prepare Caramel-Pecan Sauce: Heat pecans in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
5. Cook brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pecans.
6. Remove bread puddings from oven; drizzle with Caramel-Pecan Sauce. Bake 5 minutes or until sauce is thoroughly heated and begins to bubble.

TRY THIS TWIST
One-Dish Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Pudding: Prepare recipe as directed in Step 1. Spoon chilled bread mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake, covered, at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes. Proceed with recipe as directed in Steps 4 through 6.


Apple Bread Pudding
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
3 large apples, such as Honeycrisp (about 1 1/2 lb.), peeled and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (16-oz.) cinnamon-raisin bread loaf, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Apple Brandy Crème Anglaise
Sautéed Apples

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add apples, and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
2. Whisk together cream and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in bread cubes; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cooked apples.
3. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar into a buttered 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Add bread-and-apple mixture to dish, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar.
4. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until light golden and center is set. (Bread pudding will puff to top of dish and pull away slightly from sides as it bakes.) Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm with Apple Brandy Crème Anglaise and Sautéed Apples.
Note: We tested with Panera Bread Cinnamon Raisin Bread. To make ahead, cover and chill baked and cooled bread pudding overnight. Let stand 20 minutes; reheat in a 350° oven 20 minutes.


Banana Bread Cobbler
Ingredients
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 medium-size ripe bananas, sliced
Streusel Topping
Vanilla ice cream

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk together flour and next 2 ingredients just until blended; whisk in melted butter. Pour batter into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Top with banana slices, and sprinkle with Streusel Topping.
2. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with ice cream.


Mini Berry Cobblers
Ingredients
18 ounces mixed fresh berries (4 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup buttermilk

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Toss together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 to 4 times. Pat into a 6- x 4-inch (1-inch-thick) rectangle. Cut into 6 squares; cut squares diagonally into 12 triangles.
3. Arrange 12 (3 1/2-inch) lightly greased miniature cast-iron skillets on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Divide berry mixture among skillets. Place 1 dough triangle over berry mixture in each skillet.
4. Bake at 400° for 20 to 24 minutes or until fruit bubbles and crust is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.