Apple Cider Compote

Nothing feels more like fall to me than the smells and flavors of apples and spices. I use this compote for a filling in my cupcakes, topping for pancakes and an add in for my bread pudding. My apples had
lost their crispness, and some flavor; they were going unappreciated on my counter. Knowing I did not want to waste them, compote was the perfect solution to my bread pudding/hard loaf of french bread predicament.
I took 3 apples, peeled and diced and put in a saucepan. I added about 1/4 c. apple cider instant mix. I have a Smart and Final that sells it in bulk, not in packets. Since I use it for my baking, this is just right.

I added a little bit of water to this to simmer, maybe 1/2 c. Apples were cooked until they softened up. I added an instant thickener that I also use a lot, Ultra Gel. It is a modified food starch, and can be used hot or cold. I would highly recommend you ordering it because it is so easy, and lets you keep a very fresh flavor to things. If I wanted this apple cider compote to be more of a topping, I would add some apple juice to increase the volume and add the Ultra Gel to it to bring it to the right consistency.

It can be bought here: http://www.carnetfoods.com

The "recipie"

Anyone who asks me how I make something is never easy to answer. For me, it's a little of this, a little of that. When I was starting out in cooking, I was more by the book, till I gained experience and knowledge, and my tastes developed.
Knowing how to cook is part knowledge, part inventor. You take a recipe as a guide, as well as the practical, what do I have on hand. I hate complicated, fussy recipes where you have to have very specific ingredients, and are expensive, often not things you will use or reuse often. I also had to consider the number of mouths I need to feed. I had to up nearly all recipes to feed the mouths in my house. I am used to cooking for a gang; usually 10 mouths in all, and more if a friend was hanging around. Now that we are down to 3 or 4, downsizing the quantity is more of a challenge, and leftovers need are frozen or given a makeover. But I digress, the challenges of ADD and age...this is why I don't blog often.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 3/4 cups sugar 
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg  *you can vary spices according to your flavor combo, cinnamon, etc. If I am making a apple compote for example I use a lot of the "sista spices":nutmeg, clove, allspice, cinnamon, so then I don't add much spice to the milk/egg base.
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 2 3/4 cups whipping cream * This last time, I used a can of evaporated milk, flavored coffee creamer, and a touch of cream, sometimes, it is half and half and sometimes milk. I use what I have.
• 4 cups cubed French bread * I sometimes use croissants. I never measure cups of bread, I just use what I have and adjust the rest.
• optional mix ins: cream cheese cut into pieces, chocolate chips, or berries, apples diced, or nuts. Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar or raw sugar on top for a little crunch and sweetness.
• top with Vanilla Sauce; for variations I use a caramel sauce, berry sauce, buttermilk syrup etc. 

Preparation

1. Combine wet ingredients, and cut bread into pieces. Lightly butter a baking dish, usually a 9x13 is adequate. Put bread into dish first. Pour batter over bread, and pressing lightly to coat and soak the pieces. Add your mix ins, over and tuck into the crevices and crannies of the bread. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar, or raw sugar. Cover with foil.
2. I like to chill this overnight to allow it all to soak together, and I love not having to make anything in the morning.
3. Bake at 350 for 45 to 55 minutes, covered with aluminum foil and uncover the last 15 minutes so the top can get a little crunch to it. It will rise up and get somewhat puffy.  Sometimes it needs a few more minutes of baking. You can see if the egg batter is still liquid or lose. This usually happens if I have added more egg/milk to it, so it just takes a little longer to bake. You can poke a few holes with a knife to create open air spaces to cook faster. Just don' t let the top get too brown, you want it gently crisp. Serve warm with Vanilla Sauce. 

For vanilla custard sauce:

1/2 cup sugar 

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

1 large egg

 2 tablespoons butter 

1 1/4 cups light cream *This is also a combo use milk here too, and flavored coffee creamers that will transform your sauce to another level. There are so many options, my favorite is hazelnut, but there is also white chocolate and raspberry, creme brulee, caramel...

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Whisk all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan; except vanilla. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.  When ready to serve drizzle sauce over each serving of bread pudding.

Two Words... Bread Pudding...

No dish for me has greater power, pulls from me the longing for comfort and delivers. I love the simplicity, the heritage it has, the variety it offers; sweet or savory. It stems from a cooks desire to not waste bread. It is the essence of frugality, taking bits of things one might not have much use for, soon to be tossed out and glorifies it into a spectacular dish. Rarely if ever, do I make it the same. It depends on what I have on hand. It's "recipe" is in my head, and has traveled with me in whatever country I am in, it is a go to dish that never fails to impress.
On a trip to Mexico with some friends we had picked up some yummy breads at a la panderia. The next day our bread on the counter was hard as a rock. What is that, eggs and milk in the fridge... hello my little Mexican bread pudding, I opened up all the sugar packets on hand and added Mexican Vanilla. My friend topped it off with a banana fosters caramel topping and yes, heaven was present.
When we were in Scotland on a family reunion, our last day in the manor, it was clean out the fridge day. We had fresh eggs, milk, cream, loaves of bread. I had to scour the sugar bowls for enough sugar. We had apples, so this one would be a apple compote bread pudding.
A sauce really helps to add flavor and extra moisture to it, so it might be a caramel sauce or buttermilk syrup. Lately a vanilla custard sauce, that will masquerade as a hazelnut, white chocolate raspberry sauce... You get the idea, sounds so decadent, and is crazy easy.
Usually for Christmas morning I do a version that I saw Paula Dean do using croissants. So I get a batch from Costco, this can be cut into chunks and frozen for when you are ready to use. All those great holes soak up the batter so nicely. This one I put in chocolate chips for pockets of yummy goodness. There really is no limitations, just whatever season you are in, what flavors are calling your name. For a savory version, I use cheese, onions, sausage and garlic, diced green chili's, herbs, sometimes bits of potatoes... a hardy dish for a breakfast or dinner.