Gingered Brioche Summer Pudding With Sour Cream Mascarpone Recipes

LEMON AND GINGER BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 350°.
• Butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
• Place the bread on a large baking sheet; drizzle with the butter.
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, and toss to coat.
• Spread the bread in a single layer and bake, stirring halfway through, for 15 minutes or until a deep golden brown.
• Let cool on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, bring the half-and-half just to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the zest and ginger; let stand, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Pour the half-and-half through a fine strainer set over a large glass measure or bowl, and wipe out the saucepan.
• Whisk together the eggs, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt in a medium bowl.
• Slowly pour in the warm half-and-half, whisking constantly.
• Return mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, over med-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the custard has thickened and coats the back of a spoon; if you draw your finger across it, it should leave a track.
• Do not let the custard boil or scorch on the bottom; if tiny bubbles appear around the edges, remove the pan from the heat for a few minutes to cool the custard, continuing to whisk.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture through a fine strainer set over a large glass measure or bowl.
• Transfer the bread to the baking dish and toss with the apricots.
• Pour the custard over the bread.
• Push down the bread with a spoon to submerge it.
• Let stand for 30 minutes, or until the bread is softened.
• Preheat the oven to 300°; have ready a roasting pan.
• Put on a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.
• Cover the baking dish with foil and seal the edges tightly.
• Place the baking dish in the roasting pan and place in the oven.
• Pour in enough boiling water the pan the come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
• Bake for 1 hour.
• Carefully remove the foil and bake the bread pudding for 15 minutes longer, or until the top is golden brown but the center is still slightly jiggly.
• Carefully remove the baking dish from the pan and let cool slightly on a wire rack.
• Serve the pudding warm in bowls.

GINGERED BRIOCHE SUMMER PUDDING WITH SOUR CREAM MASCARPONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan bring sugar, water, and gingerroot to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in fruit and simmer gently, covered, carefully stirring occasionally, until blueberries just begin to burst, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice. Transfer fruit mixture to a shallow baking dish to cool as quickly as possible. Transfer 1 1/2 cups cooled fruit mixture to a bowl and reserve, covered and chilled.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• On a baking sheet arrange bread slices in one layer and toast in middle of oven, turning them if necessary, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer bread to a rack to cool.
• In an 8-inch square glass baking dish set inside a larger shallow baking dish arrange half of bread slices, overlapping slightly if necessary and trimming to fit, and top with half of unchilled fruit mixture. Layer remaining bread slices and unchilled fruit mixture in same manner. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Put another 8-inch square glass or metal baking dish on top of plastic wrap and weight pudding evenly with about 6 pounds of weight (such as cans of food). (Chill pudding at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.)
• Just before serving, remove weights, baking dish, and plastic wrap from pudding, reserving juice that has spilled over into larger baking dish, and cut pudding into 6 portions. Transfer 4 portions with a spatula to plates and spoon reserved juices and chilled fruit mixture around them.
• Serve pudding with sour cream mascarpone.