bread pudding

Dessert was the real head-scratcher for this theme week; I wanted to go all-out, but didn't necessarily want to pump out the same thing a million other cyber-vegans were producing. I won't lie: I've been seeing a lot of pumpkin pies on the internet the last few days. They're probably delicious, and most of them turned out quite beautiful, but merely baking a simple holiday pie would be a bit too pedestrian conceptually to be in accordance with the pinkbelly brand as I perceive it at this time. With T-Week quickly drawing to a close, I had to act fast and do a little bit of thinking on my feet.

The title of today's entry can be a bit misleading, especially if you're sort of new to food and also a total hick like me. Bread pudding is the sort of thing I had never seen in real life growing up, but had only ever read about in Harry Potter. I had theories about what it tasted like, but had no way of knowing for sure. Now, I'm a fucking adult, and I want answers.

old bread

coconut cream

cinnamon

vanilla

stevia

raisins and craisins

a pinch of salt

Last's night's potato-peeling event was an uproariously good time. To reward myself for peeling potatoes with others instead of alone with my camera like usual, I'm going to make a sweet treat.

Crumble the bread into the coconut cream by hand; start with only a small amount of liquid, and add more gradually so as to not overwhelm your bread sponge. We are not seeking an overly-wet batter; something close to thick oatmeal is what you're aiming for. Once you have found an ideal ratio, add in the cinnamon, vanilla, stevia, and salt.

Here's a box of raisins and craisins I didn't think to include in this dish until after already breaking down the ingredient gif set-up for the day, which is unfortunate because the box art is hilariously kitsch and it would have broken up the parade of bottles nicely. After you have already achieved a well-incorporated mush, dump these guys in and give the bowl a couple of additional turns, just enough to distribute them evenly throughout..

Grease down some muffin tin cups and add the batter; they won't rise much, so no need to worry about over-filling each compartment. I kept a few craisins reserved on the side to put on top; I think the look will give these things the appropriate amount of "attitude" I'm going for. Light your oven up to 350° and pop 'em in for about twenty minutes.

I only had enough bread to made three puddings; had I not been so excited to try this recipe out, the sight of the half-empty tray probably would have been a bit more depressing. Thanksgiving for one, am I right?

Aw, look at that. They sort of crumble apart when you take them out of the muffin tin. Between the crispy edges, the moist, decadent inner crumb, and the chewy morsels of dried fruit, there really is no part of these things that I don't like.

Were you expecting that one to turn out as passable as it did? I sure as hell didn't. They're adorable. They're fluffy. They give stale bread a new lease on life. If you're looking for the perfect way to round out your holiday feast, be sure to give these tender little yeast-cups a try at home.