Heavenly Bananas Foster Bread Pudding Recipes

BANANAS FOSTER BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• For the bread and syrup: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Toast the bread cubes on a baking sheet until they start to dry and harden, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Raise the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Meanwhile, to make the syrup, add the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, rum, vanilla and cinnamon to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• For the custard: Whisk together the heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, rum, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, whole eggs and yolks in a large bowl. Add the bread, pecans and half of the syrup and stir until completely coated (reserve the other half of the syrup for later). Cover and let soak for about 30 minutes, pushing the bread down occasionally so that all the cubes are soaked.
• Thinly slice 4 of the bananas and fold into the bread mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake until the custard is set and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
• Thinly slice the remaining banana and scatter on top of the bread. Drizzle with the reserved syrup. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold with ice cream, if desired.

CLASSIC ANGEL FOOD CAKE (WITH 5 DESSERT OPTIONS)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 350. You'll need a 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Line bottom with nonstick foil, cutting to fit around the tube; place into pan.
• Whisk together cake flour, 1/4 cup sugar and the salt; transfer mixture to a sieve set over a small bowl.
• In large bowl, beat the egg whites with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes until frothy and well blended. Add the cream of tartar; increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks start to form, about 3 minutes. While still beating, add the remaining 1 cup sugar in a slow stream; continue to beat until whites are very thick and hold firm peaks when beaters are lifted, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
• Transfer mixture to a large, wide bowl. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over whites; fold in with a rubber spatula. Repeat twice with the remaining flour, folding in until incorporated. Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly. Run a knife through the batter to remove any air pockets.
• Bake 35 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when pressed with fingertip or a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean. Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely, upside down.
• To loosen cake, run a knife around all sides of pan. Lift cake out of pan by tube. Loosen cake from bottom; invert to unmold.
• Heavenly Bananas Foster Bread Pudding: 1/2 baked angel food cake cut into cubes (6 cups), 2 1/4 cups milk, 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup spiced rum, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 sliced 1/2-inch thick firm ripe bananas, confectioners' sugar for dusting, lowfat vanilla ice cream (optional). Heat oven to 350. Spread out angel food cake cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, tossing three times, until lightly toasted and dry. Turn off oven. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, rum and vanilla in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Gently stir in cake cubes and banana slices; pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover dish with foil. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature for cake cubes to absorb most of the milk mixture. Heat oven to 350. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue to bake 25 minutes or until pudding is set. Let stand 15 minutes. Dust top with confectioners' sugar. Serve with small scoops of vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.
• Lemon Angel Torte: Cake: 1/2 recipe angel food cake batter. Lemon Filling: 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin, 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup each orange juice and water, 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream, 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds, confectioners' sugar for dusting. Cake: Line a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with double thickness of nonstick foil extending 2-inches over ends of pan. Prepare batter adding 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest instead of the vanilla extract in step 3. Bake 28 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely. To loosen cake, run a knife around long sides of pan. Lift out of pan by foil ends and place in freezer with foil to firm up. Lemon Filling: Sprinkle gelatin over water in small cup to soften. In medium saucepan, whisk sugar and cornstarch until blended. Stir in lemon zest and juice, orange juice and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Stir in gelatin. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Transfer to a bowl; stir in sour cream. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap; let cool to room temperature. To assemble torte using a serrated knife, cut cake lengthwise into three even layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup Lemon Filling. Top with a second layer; spread with another 1/2 cup filling. Place last layer on top, cut side down. Spread sides of torte with remaining filling. Press almonds around sides of torte. Refrigerate 1 hour. To serve dust top with confectioners' sugar. Using the back of a large knife, score the sugar into a diamond pattern, or sear the score lines by placing a 12-inch metal skewer over a stovetop burner until end is red hot. Use a kitchen towel to pick up skewer; singe diamond pattern into sugar. Serves 8.
• Frozen Berry Angel Shortcake: Prepare angel food cake with these changes. Line the bottom of 9x3-inch springform pan with nonstick foil, then attach the sides of the pan. Substitute raspberry extract for the vanilla in step 3, and add 3 drops liquid red food color with the extract. Spread in prepared pan and bake as directed. Cool the cake completely, in pan, upside down on a wire rack. To loosen cake, run a thin bladed knife around sides of pan; remove pan sides. Invert cake and remove pan bottom. To assemble shortcake using a serrated knife, cut cake into 2 layers. Place bottom layer, cut side up, on pan bottom and spread with 1/3 cup strawberry topping. Spoon 3 cups slightly softened lowfat strawberry ice cream or frozen yogurt over topping. Spread another 1/3 cup strawberry topping over ice cream. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight. (Once the cake is frozen, it can be wrapped and stored in freezer up to 2 weeks). To serve transfer frozen cake to a serving plate. Frost with 2 cups thawed lite whipped topping or lightly sweetened whipped cream. Decorate with strawberries or raspberries. Refrigerate 30 minutes to soften slightly before serving. Serves 12.
• Chocolate Speckled Angel Cake: Prepare angel food with the changes. After adding flour in step 4, fold 2oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest into batter. Spread in prepared tube pan; bake as directed. Cool cake and remove from pan as directed. To serve place cake on a serving plate. In a 1-cup glass measure, combine 2oz chopped bittersweet chocolate, 4 teaspoons butter and 2 teaspoons light cornsyrup. Microwave on high 45-60 seconds until melted; whisk mixture until glaze is smooth. Let stand 1 hour or until glaze sets. If desired, garnish the top of the cake with 3.5oz chocolate bar (we used Lindt's intense orange dark chocolate with almond slivers) cut into small triangles. Arrange chocolate pieces in glazed or serve alongside cake. Serves 12.
• Peach Melba Cupcakes: Prepare angel food with these changes. You'll need 24 jumbo paper cupcake liners. Double up the liners, 2 per cupcake, and arrange on a large baking sheet. After adding flour in step 4, spoon the batter into a gallon-size ziptop bag; seal bag and cut off a 1/2-inch corner. Pipe the batter into the liners, filling each almost to the top. Smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake 20 minutes, or until pick inserted in centers come out clean. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack. Melba Sauce: puree in a blender 1 thawed 10oz package frozen raspberries in syrup. Scrape berry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over medium bowl to remove seeds; discard seeds. To assemble cupcakes you'll need 1 thawed 1-pound bag frozen sliced peaches (any thick slices should be cut into thinner slices). If desired, toss peaches with 1/4 cup sugar. Carefully peel back inner paper liner; remove cupcake. Slice off rounded top with a serrated knife; cut top into quarters. Place cupcake bottom back into outer paper liner and spoon some Melba Sauce over cut surface. Top with a dollop of whipped nondairy topping. Place 3-4 peach slices into whipped topping. Drizzle with more sauce; add another dollop of whipped topping. Stick cupcake top quarters into cream. Serves 12.

BANANAS FOSTER BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Slice French bread and dry in a 200F oven for 20 minutes.
• Combine remaining pudding ingredients in a large container and blend well with a hand mixer.
• Thinly slice dried French bread and place in an 8 x 10 x 2-inch pan.
• Pour pudding into pan and mush all bread by hand so that the liquid is absorbed and the bread becomes very soggy.
• Be sure to flatten all of the lumps.
• Cover pan with foil and bake at 300 F for 2 ½ hours, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the pudding comes out dry.
• Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Set aside to cool.
• Foster Sauce:.
• Melt butter in a sauce pot.
• Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
• Add the rum and ignite.
• Allow the flames to subside.
• Then, stir in the banana liqueur.
• Add fresh bananas and simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the sauce coats the spoon.
• To Serve: Cut bread pudding into 3 ½ x 3 ½-inch squares.
• Top warm bread pudding with Foster sauce and garnish with mint leaves.

BANANAS FOSTER BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ¼ cup of brown sugar, vanilla, 1 tablespoon rum and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the bread, and stir so that it absorbs the liquid. Set aside to soak.
• Butter a 2-quart baking dish, and place it on a baking sheet. Line the bottom of the dish with banana coins, then spoon about ½ of the soaked bread over them. Top with banana coins, and spoon the remaining soaked bread over the top. Bake for 40 minutes, then sprinkle with the tablespoon of white sugar. Continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top, approximately 50 to 60 minutes total.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small sauce set over medium heat. Add the remaining brown sugar, cream, remaining rum and salt, and whisk until combined. Simmer, whisking, until the sauce has thickened, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Serve the pudding warm, with some of the sauce drizzled over the top, alongside vanilla ice cream.