When I was in New Orleans I had a coconut bread pudding at Deanie’s and also a creole bread pudding at Commander’s Palace with whiskey sauce. I wanted to make my own version and combine the two. I’ve made bread pudding in the past and I have to admit, the results were not that great at times. I find it hard to make sure the bread pudding stays moist after baking. I had my fingers crossed the entire time it was in the oven! I was really happy with the results and hope you guys give it try especially if you love bread pudding.

Coconut Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

Coconut Bread Pudding

• 6 cups cubed brioche (brioche should be at least a day old)
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tbs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Heat coconut milk, whole milk,  and cream together in a saucepan just to a boil. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and sugar. While whisking the mixture, slowly add a little of the coconut milk/cream mixture to temper. Slowly add the rest of the milk/cream while constantly whisking. Add vanilla and shredded coconut.

Butter an 8X8 baking dish and add cubed bread. Pour liquid mixture over bread and push down cubes with the back of a spoon to make sure all pieces are submerged. Soak bread for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 8X8 dish with the bread pudding inside a larger baking dish and add about an inch of hot water. Bake 1 hour and let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes.

Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbs vanilla bean paste
• 2 tbs bourbon (optional)

Add all ingredients except for vanilla and bourbon in a saucepan. heat on medium low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce has thickened. Add vanilla and bourbon. If your not a fan of bourbon, the sauce is great without it.

Serve warm bread pudding with sauce and and fresh whipped cream.

]]> http://prettygirlscook.com/2013/03/17/coconut-bread-pudding-with-vanilla-bourbon-sauce/feed/ 0 goddessbirdsong coconut bread pudding with vanilla bourbon sauce http://prettygirlscook.com/2013/03/07/no-recipe-recipe-quinoa-with-roasted-veggies-and-pesto/ http://prettygirlscook.com/2013/03/07/no-recipe-recipe-quinoa-with-roasted-veggies-and-pesto/#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2013 02:06:47 +0000 Prettygirlscook http://prettygirlscook.com/?p=1619 ]]>

This is another quick and easy dish to make with just a few ingredients. It’s also a good way to use up some of the veggies you may have laying around.

Quinoa with Roasted Veggies and Pesto

What You’ll Need

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• Assorted Veggies: I used carrots, red peppers, onions, fennel, mushrooms, and whole garlic cloves
• Olive Oil
• Store bought pesto
• lemon juice
• Parmesan Cheese

Chop your veggies and place on a pan and drizzle with a nice amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cook veggies in a 400 degree oven until veggies are soft and have browned slightly. Add veggies to quinoa and stir in pesto (i used about 2 heaping teaspoons) Add lemon juice, from half a lemon parmesan cheese to your taste. Season with salt and pepper and your all set. This dish is great as a vegetarian main dish or as a side dish with fish or chicken.

]]> http://prettygirlscook.com/2013/03/07/no-recipe-recipe-quinoa-with-roasted-veggies-and-pesto/feed/ 0 goddessbirdsong quinoa with roasted vegetables and pesto http://prettygirlscook.com/2013/02/27/new-orleans-the-food/ http://prettygirlscook.com/2013/02/27/new-orleans-the-food/#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:31:00 +0000 Prettygirlscook http://prettygirlscook.com/?p=1535 ]]>

No trip is complete to New Orleans without a trip to Cafe du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait! This was the first stop when we arrived. Although Cafe du Monde is extremely crowded we did not have to wait at all for a table. If you have never visited, just walk in, find an empty table and take a seat. Just be aware that there is powdered sugar everywhere and you will probably leave with powdered sugar on your clothes. But, it is definitely worth it.

For Lundi Gras, Commander’s palace offered a jazz brunch. If visiting during Mardi Gras, make sure you make reservations.

The Place Setting at Commander’s Palace

Foie Gras and Strawberry Pain Perdu: Strawberry jam over brandy milk punch soaked brioche with foie gras mousse and praline bacon. Also available with a sunny side up quails egg

Black Angus Beef and Eggs: Sous vide beef short ribs over crawfish grit jambalaya with cajun ham, crispy onion rings, a sunny side up egg, and green peppercorn Tchoupitoulas sauce

Pecan Crusted Gulf Fish: Prosecco poached Louisiana crabmeat, spiced pecans, and crushed corn sauce

Creole Bread Pudding Souffle with Warm Whiskey Sauce added Table Side

On Mardi Gras Day, we tried our luck with Mother’s Restaurant and the line wasn’t too bad. I heard a lot about this restaurant and even saw a picture of Beyonce eating here during her super bowl visit. Unfortunately, the food was the worst food that i had in New Orleans and was not worth the 15 minute wait. All of the food sounds delicious and even looks great, but it lacked flavor.

Debri and Gravy with Grits and Eggs

Seafood Gumbo

Shrimp and Oyster Po Boy

Hurricane from Lafitte’s

Deanie’s was a restaurant a few steps away from our hotel, The Hotel Monteleone, and the food was amazing! We ended up here two nights because we loved the food. The voodoo juice cocktail and coconut custard bread pudding was also yummy.

Half Seafood Platter with shrimp, catfish, soft shell crab, and crawfish dressing balls

Crabmeat Au Gratin

Chargrilled oysters, So Yummy!

I also went to Oceana Grill and had an oyster po boy. It was delicious. I was so hungry I ate before taking a pic. This restaurant is not very fancy, but it was open later than most other restaurants and the food was fresh and service was fast.

And just like that, it was time to come home. I’ll see you next year New Orleans!

When I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of chocolate, strawberries, and champagne. This dish is perfect for your sweet heart for breakfast or even dessert with a nice glass of bubbly!

Double Chocolate Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup

 Double Chocolate Pancakes

• 1 cup flour
• 3 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks or chips

Combine all dry ingredients and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, melted butter, vanilla, and whisk. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until ingredients come together. If batter is still too thick, add a little more buttermilk. Fold in chocolate chunks.

Heat a griddle on medium/high and spray with cooking spray. Drop batter using a 1/4 cup and cook approximately 3 minutes on each side.

Strawberry Syrup

• 1 (160z) bag of frozen strawberries thawed or fresh
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbs unsalted butter

Add half of strawberries to a blender and pulse until liquified. If needed, add a little water. Strain strawberry puree thru a mesh sieve and add to a saucepan. Add remaining whole strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and butter. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. let mixture cool slightly before serving.

To assemble pancakes, top with strawberry syrup, whip cream or ice cream and garnish with powdered sugar and chocolate shavings.

*Makes 2 servings about 3 pancakes per person

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter @PrettyGirlsCook

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Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Truffle Parmesan Buttermilk Biscuits

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbs cold black/white truffle butter
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
• 6 tbs grated parmesan cheese 

  Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a bowl. Cube cold butter and add it to the flour mixture. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, blend butter into flour until the flour is crumbly with small chunks of butter remaining.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk. Add about half first and begin to combine with your hands or a wooden spoon.

You want the mixture to just come together without being too sticky. When mixture comes together, place on a floured board and knead slightly, no longer than a minute. Flatten mixture about 1/2 thick. Using a biscuit cutter, or glass, cut out biscuits to your desired size. I used a 3 1/2 cutter and was able to get six biscuits from it. After you cut your first couple of biscuits, combine scraps and rework dough so that you may cut additional biscuits.

Place biscuits in a buttered cast iron skillet and top each biscuit with a tablespoon of grated parmesan. Bake 10 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit with Bacon Jam

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Pumpkin Beer Time!

Blue Points

Gabbiano Chianti Classico

D’artagnan Black Truffle Butter

Sea Bass en Papillote

New Use For Some Old Wine Bottles and Vintage Glasses

Skirt Steak with Smoked Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Sauce

*Sorry the pics are so small! I used a new app on my phone to take them. Obviously that was not a good  idea!

After having gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce in Florence, I knew I wanted to re create it at some point. This gnocchi is baked in a creamy blue cheese sauce that is the perfect comfort food. I used a smoked blue cheese, but you can use any type of blue cheese you like. Making the gnocchi takes a little extra time, but store bought gnocchi can definitely be substituted. This dish is great for the upcoming chilly nights as a main dish but would also be  a great side for steak or chicken.

Baked Gnocchi with Smoked Blue Cheese Sauce

Gnocchi

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 1 egg
• nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup flour

Bake potatoes in a 425º oven for an hour or until tender. Carefully peel potatoes while hot and pass thru a potato ricer. If you don’t have a ricer like me, just add pieces of potato to a metal sieve and use the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out potato.  Once all your potatoes are riced, spread out and let cool slightly to room temperature.

Reduce oven temperature to 375º

Once cool, beat egg and pour over potatoes along with a few hits of fresh nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle with about half the flour and gently begin to fold ingredients to create a dough. If mixture is too sticky add more flour. I ended up using a little less than a cup. Once dough comes together, it should not stick to your hands and feel very soft and light.

Shape dough into a large log about 8 inches long. From that cut 6 equal pieces. Adding flour when needed to prevent sticking. Roll each small piece of dough into a long log shape. Once all pieces are rolled out, take three at a time and cut into small square pieces. My gnocchi were about ½ inch when cut then became a litter larger once rolled on the fork. Once your gnocchi are cut, press against the back of a fork and press down to leave a little indentation from your thumb. This part is not necessary, but it will hold the sauce nicely.

Boil gnocchi in a pot of salted water. When they begin to float to the top, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to your baking dish(I used a cast iron skillet).

Smoked Blue Cheese Sauce

• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs flour
• 1 ½ heavy cream, warmed
• 1 cup chopped smoked blue cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat and add flour, whisk until smooth. Cook butter and flour mixture about 3 minutes whisking constantly to prevent sticking. Add warm heavy creamy and continue to whisk. Heat mixture 5 minutes until it has thickened. Remove from heat and add blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble, pour cheese sauce over gnocchi and gently toss in sauce.  Bake at 375º for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.  Try with crumbled bacon or toasted bread crumbs on top. Enjoy!

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