Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Cinnamon Roll-Pear Bread Pudding

CakeSpy Note: OMG! It's getting to be that time of year again. The Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off as well as the 46th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited the 47th one early by sharing all of the sweet recipes in the running. I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below to see the recipes posted so far (as well as recipes from previous Bake-Off events). 

What a fantastic pear-ing! Cinnamon rolls are a fantastic medium for baking bread pudding, but have you ever tried it with a ripe, juicy pear?

Elizabeth Albert of Highland Park, Illinois, did just that and it's put her in the running to win a million dollars at the Bake-Off, so perhaps it's something you should try (how about this weekend?).

Cinnamon Roll-Pear Bread Pudding

• Prep Time: 15 Min
• Total Time: 1 Hr 45 Min
• Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (8 rolls)
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 firm ripe pears (1 lb), peeled, thinly sliced

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom and side of 8-inch round cake pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter. Bake cinnamon rolls in pan as directed on can; reserve icing. Cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
2. Meanwhile in medium bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup water, the eggs, vanilla and nutmeg with whisk until well blended.
3. With serrated knife, cut each cinnamon roll in half, forming 2 layers. Place layers, cut sides up, in bottom of square pan, overlapping as necessary. Drop remaining butter by 1/4 teaspoons over rolls. Pour half of the egg mixture evenly over rolls and butter; layer pear slices over rolls. Pour remaining egg mixture over pears.
4. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until edges are golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Top each serving with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the reserved icing.

Season of the 'Wich: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Bread Pudding Recipe

Should you ever find yourself with a stockpile of five or so extra peanut butter sandwiches, have I ever got the recipe for you.

It's bread pudding, but with a big difference: instead of using plain old stupid bread, you're using peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut into cubes, soaked in a luxuriant custard mixture and baked to golden perfection.

Seriously. Your glass of milk is going to slap away peanut butter and jelly sandwiches forever after this, demanding this pudding instead. 

The center is just solid enough to stay firm when sliced, but turns into a wondrous custardy, creamy, peanut buttery goo in your mouth, ribboned with sweet strawberry jelly.

The top is lightly crispy and golden, and portions of jelly on the top and sides sort of caramelize into a slightly crackly but oh so pleasing candy-like consistency. All of the combinations of flavors and textures coming together, plus the nostalgia aspect of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but the joy of a grown-up recipe, makes for a highly pleasing dessert.

You're welcome. Now, here's how you make it at home.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Bread Pudding

Makes 9 servings 

• Five peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a standard white bread sized bread
• 2 cups whole milk or cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick salted butter 
• 1/4 cup jelly (same kind you used in the sandwiches)

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x9-inch pan.
2. Slice the sandwiches into approximately 1-inch squares. Clean the knife between cuts if it starts to get sticky. Place all of the pieces in a large bowl.
3. In a large bowl, mix the 2 cups of milk with the eggs, until combined. Set aside for a moment.
4. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, and jelly. If you don't have salted butter, use unsalted but add a teaspoon of salt. It makes a difference. Once they are all melted and cohesive, remove from heat. Gently pour the warm mixture into the milk and egg mixture, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. 
5. Pour the mixture over the sandwich cubes, very gently stirring to ensure even coverage while not letting the sandwiches come apart.
6. Spoon the thick mixture into the prepared pan. It's OK to be 3/4 of the way full, but don't fill it all the way. Gently press down the pieces on the top one more time, to ensure that they have penty of custardy coating.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on top and just lightly wobbly in the middle. Let cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before serving, or until set. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. This pudding can be served warm or cold.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Triple The Chocolate Bread Pudding

CakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Triple the Chocolate Bread Pudding? I take issue with this dish.

I think it should instead be called "Triple the AWESOME Bread Pudding". Why? Well, because it 1) contains cinnamon rolls. 2) contains a ton of chocolate. 3) is baked into bread pudding. What? Delicious!

As the recipe creator, Kristin Walker, of Kennett Square, PA, says: "This is not your grandmother's bread pudding. Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are soaked, topped, and baked in chocolate and finally served with a special whipped cream. Oh my!".

Triple the Chocolate Bread Pudding

12 Servings

• 1can Pillsbury® Grands!® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 1can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2cup Hershey's® semi-sweet chocolate baking chips
• 1/4cup Hershey’s® baking cocoa
• 1/2cup milk
• 2teaspoons instant coffee granules or crystals
• 2teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3LAND O LAKES® Eggs
• 2LAND O LAKES® Egg Yolks
• 3/4cup Hershey's® Special Dark® syrup
• 1cup heavy whipping cream

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Generously spray 8-inch round cake pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Place rolls evenly in pan; reserve icing.
2. Bake 29 to 32 minutes or until golden brown. Remove rolls to cooling rack. Cool 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, cook condensed milk, chocolate chips and cocoa, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat. Beat in milk, coffee granules and vanilla with wire whisk. Add eggs and yolks; beat with wire whisk until well blended.
4. Generously spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. With serrated knife, cut cinnamon rolls into 1-inch pieces; arrange pieces evenly in bottom of baking dish. Pour chocolate-coffee mixture over pieces; turn pieces to coat evenly. Let stand 15 minutes. Drizzle chocolate syrup over top of pudding.
5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center of pudding comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add reserved icing; beat 15 seconds or until well blended. Serve whipped topping with warm bread pudding. Store covered in refrigerator.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: White Chocolate and Apple-Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Let's talk about White Chocolate and Apple-Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding.

Or, better yet, let's not. Let's just make a big batch, put on a Lifetime Original and a pear of sweatpants, and enjoy the riches. Kidding. Sort of.

"Pillsbury cinnamon rolls jump-start a bread pudding with a creamy custard and rich white chocolate", says creator (and suspected genius) Antoinette Leal of Ridgefield, CT.

Here's how you make it at home.

White Chocolate and Apple-Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

• 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 1 12-ounce bag white baking chips
• 3cups half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 Eggs, beaten
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, diced
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

Garnish, if desired

• 1/2 cup sweetened whipped cream
• 8 Cinnamon Sticks
• 8 fresh mint sprigs

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 (10-oz) ramekins or custard cups with Crisco® No-Stick Cooking Spray with Flour. Place each roll, cinnamon topping up, into ramekin. Reserve icing. Place ramekins in large baking pan with sides.
2. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, reserve 1/3 cup white chips for topping. To make custard, in 2-quart saucepan, combine remaining baking chips, half-and-half, vanilla and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, or until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Beat eggs into custard with wire whisk until blended.
4. Pour approximately 1/2 cup custard over each baked cinnamon roll. Let stand 10 minutes. Evenly top ramekins with remaining custard.
5. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes or until eggs are starting to set.
6. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together reserved icing, diced apple, ground cinnamon, pecans and reserved 1/3 cup white chips.
7. Spoon about 1/4 cup apple mixture over each cinnamon roll. Bake an additional 15 to 18 minutes or until filling has set and apples are tender. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes.
8. Garnish bread puddings with whipped cream, cinnamon stick and sprig of mint. Serve warm.

Coconut Dream: Coconut Cream Bread Pudding with Chocolate Velvet Sauce

There are some coconut haters out there.

But that's just fine, because that means there's more of this exceedingly decadent coconut cream bread pudding for the lovers to share. 

This delicious dessert comes by way of Paula Deen's The Deen Family Cookbook. As the grande dame of get-fat-quick desserts herself says, "the rich coconut pudding with a nice pool of chocolate sauce all around brings me back to the days when me and Bubba would count out all our change to buy mounds bars on the way home from school". Like a Mounds bar all grown up and decked out in its after-dinner best, this dessert is bound to make you both very fat and very happy.

Coconut Cream Bread Pudding with Chocolate Velvet Sauce

Serves 6

• One large loaf (16-20 inches) French Bread, cut into one inch cubes
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• Two 13.5 ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
• One 15-ounce can of cream of coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• Chocolate sauce
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

 Procedure

1. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch square flameproof baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes evenly. In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks and eggs, coconut milk, cream of coconut, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the coconut flakes. Pour the custard over the bread cubes. Press the cubes gently to soak up the custard. Let the mixture stand for about an hour in the fridge (covered).
2. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Sprinkle the top of the pudding with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut flakes. Cover the dish with foil, poking a few holes so that steam can vent. Place a roasting pan on the oven rack and put the baking dish in it. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is firm to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove the baking dish from the water bath (carefully!) and run it under the broiler, at least 4 inches from the heat, until golden (1-2 minutes). Let the pudding cool completely.
3. Make the chocolate sauce directly before serving. Place the chocolate chips in a medium saucepan, and melt on low heat. Pour the cream over the slightly melted chips and continue stirring on low heat until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Add more cream if desired until it has reached your desired consistency. Drizzle over each serving.