Calatrava Bread Pudding Recipe - Pan de Calatrava

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 8 anisette-flavored toasts or biscotti
• 2 cups (1/2 liter) milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole egg
• 4 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup (125 gr) granulated sugar

Preparation:

To prepare the caramelized sugar sauce, put a heavy bottom skillet or saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup sugar. With the back of a wooden spoon, keep sugar moving constantly in pan until sugar is completely melted, and has a rich medium brown color (caramelized). Quickly pour caramelized sugar into a large baking dish or mold. Place the anisette toasts or biscotti on the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.

Pour milk into a large saucepan with cinnamon stick. Heat on high just until milk boils. Remove pan from heat and cover. In a separate pan, heat 4 cups of water for the water bath.

Heat oven to 360F (180C).

Place 1 whole egg and the 4 yolks into a bowl with the sugar and beat with hand mixer. Remove the cinnamon stick and gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly.

Slowly pour the milk-egg mixture into the baking dish or mold. Place the dish into a 9” x 13” baking dish and carefully pour the hot water from pan into the larger dish for the water bath. Be sure that the water reaches about 3/4 of the way up the side of the dish with milk-egg mixture. Carefully pour more warm water into dish if needed.

Bake uncovered in the water bath at 360 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted half way between center and the edge of dish.

Carefully remove dish from the water bath. Set on a cooling rack until lukewarm, then chill thoroughly in refrigerator. This usually takes at least 1 hour.

When ready to serve, un-mold by running a knife around the edge of the baking dish. Place a plate or platter on the top of the baking dish. With one hand under the dish and the other on top of the plate, turn over. Tap the dish and the custard should drop onto the plate. If it does not, carefully “prod” the flan out of the dish with a small paring knife.

Garnish with ground hazelnuts or a sprig of mint if desired.

Choc-a-block trifle

• Ingredients

• 4 good-quality chocolate brownies (about 85g each)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)
• 275g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tbs caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 600ml thickened cream
• 150g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup (30g) toasted chopped walnuts
• Dark chocolate curls (see note), to decorate

• Method

1. Step 1
   Break up brownies into small pieces and place in the bottom of a 1.5 litre dish or 6 x 1 cup (250ml) serving glasses. Drizzle over the Kahlua, then set aside.
2. Step 2
   Place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Allow to melt, then stir very gently until smooth. Remove from heat and add 225ml boiling water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to make a sauce (don't add water more quickly or the chocolate will 'seize' and become grainy). Pour sauce over the brownies, then cover and chill for 2 hours.
3. Step 3
   Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a bowl with electric beaters until thick and pale.
4. Step 4
   Heat 300ml of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just below boiling point. Pour the hot cream mixture over the egg mixture, stirring to combine. Transfer to a clean saucepan and place over low heat. Stir for 2-3 minutes until a thick custard forms.
5. Step 5
   Place two thirds (100g) of the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the custard into the bowl, stirring until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined. Cool completely, then pour over the chocolate brownie base. Chill for 2 hours.
6. Step 6
   Place the remaining 50g of white chocolate in a food processor with the walnuts and pulse until fine. Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks, stir in the walnut mixture, then spread over the trifle. Chill for at least 2 hours until set, then serve decorated with chocolate curls, if desired.

Traditional Banana Split

Ingredients:

1/2 cup scoop vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup scoop chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup scoop strawberry ice cream
1 large ripe banana
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (or Hot Fudge)
2 tablespoons strawberry ice cream topping (or fresh strawberries)
2 tablespoons crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons wet walnut ice cream topping
whipped cream
cherries

Directions:

1 Line up ice cream scoops next to each other in an oval deep dish or a banana boat.

2 Cut the ends of the banana off (about 1/4 inch) while still in the peel.

3 Slice in half longways.

4 Pop each half of the banana out of the peel onto each side of the ice cream row, pressing down and in a little so it'll stay put.

5 Top the vanilla ice cream with the pineapple, the chocolate with the chocolate syrup and the strawberry with the strawberry sauce.

6 Spoon the wet walnuts over all three scoops of ice cream.

7 Top each scoop with some whipped cream and a cherry for each.

8 Enjoy!

Mango Rice Pudding

ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 cup jasmine rice

1 cup whole milk

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

2 cups water

Zest of 1 lime

Pinch ground nutmeg

Directions

Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the cinnamon stick and 1 tablespoon sugar, and stir to dissolve. Add the diced mango, and saute until the mango caramelizes slightly. Remove the mango mixture, leaving the cinnamon stick in the pan, and set the mango aside in a bowl.In the same pan drizzle in the vegetable oil. Add the jasmine rice, and stir to coat the grains in the oil.
Pour in the whole milk, evaporated milk, water, lime zest, and remaining 2 tablespoon sugar, and stir to combine. Simmer the rice for 20 minutes. Once the pudding is cooked, season it with the nutmeg, stir and remove the heat. Add half of the mango mixture back to the pan, and mix.
To serve, ladle the pudding into a bowl and garnish with the reserved mango mixture.