Eggnog Bread Pudding

It's December, and it's time for holiday desserts!  Inspired by Giada's recipe, this bread pudding is oh-so-rich and sweet.  Every winter, I end up experimenting with different bread puddings, and this year won't disappoint.  The only catch to this specific bread pudding is that you'll likely find that the main ingredient, the panettone, is typically available solely during the holiday season.  (*Not sure what panettone looks like or where to find it?  It's a sweet Christmas bread filled with candied fruits that, I believe, originated in Italy but is a holiday staple across many parts of the world.  You can find it in almost any speciality food store once November rolls around, or you can make your own.)

I made this eggnog bread pudding during one of the first real snowfalls of 2013, and it was a delightful dessert (and later on, as a breakfast food).  I topped it with a cinnamon and molasses whipped cream, recipe to follow.

During the snowy winter months, I have to admit that I've collected snowflakes on contrasting dark-colored paper to marvel at their singularity.  For the sentiments that snowflake collecting brings, and for winter treats, here's Mark Mothersbaugh's "Snowflake Music" from the fabulous Rushmore soundtrack.

Ingredients:
The Bread Pudding:
--1 large (1 lb.) panettone loaf
--10 large eggs
--6 c. eggnog (you could make your own, of course, but a tasty half gallon from your local grocer will do just fine)
--1/2 c. turbinado sugar
--1/2 c. dark brown sugar
--2 tsp. vanilla extract

*Note: it's best to make this the night before you plan to serve it so the pudding can have time to "marinate" in the refrigerator!

The Cinnamon Molasses Whipped Cream:
--1 pint heavy whipping cream
--1 tbsp. cinnamon
--2 tsp. molasses
--1/4 c. dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.  Remove your panettone loaf from its wrappers and cut into roughly 1" cubes.  Arrange the cubes in the baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, eggnog, sugars, and vanilla until well blended.  Pour over the panettone cubes, cover with plastic, and place in the fridge overnight.  (In a pinch, you don't need to let the bread pudding sit--you can put it in the oven right away.)

Bake uncovered for 45-50 min, or until the center puffs and the pudding is set (believe me, you'll know when this happens, and if you check too soon, the pudding will look like it's never going to set). Remove and allow to cool.

You can also make the whipped cream a day in advance, or immediately before you're ready to serve your bread pudding.  Either way, it's quick and easy.  In a large bowl, beat the ingredients on medium speed for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.

Cut and serve your eggnog bread pudding with a (very large) dollop of cinnamon molasses whipped cream.

Draadjesvlees, or Dutch Slow-Braised Beef

On a cold July night in Amsterdam, I ate dinner at a little restaurant called La Falote, serving traditional Dutch food prepared by the owner (and resident accordion player).  I tried the Draadjesvlees, or slow-braised beef, served with potatoes, apple compote, and roasted apples.  The beef and its sauces are spicy and unique, flavored with cinnamon, whole cloves, and juniper (by the way, Belgium and the Netherlands are famous for their jenever, or gin distilled with juniper berries).  After this delicious stew dinner, I rushed back to my hotel room to record the flavors and textures for duplication back on American soil.     

I decided to try out my own version while visiting my grandparents in Pennsylvania.  I made just a few changes and additions based on both taste (more apples!) and supply (namely, there were no juniper berries to be found in western Pennsylvania!).   I substituted the juniper berries with imported gin and doubled the apple slices.  The result?  My American version of Draadjesvlees, brought to you by my grandmother's bright and lovely kitchen. 

Since this dish is in part a re-creation from my week in the Netherlands, but also in part my own creation, I'm pairing it with the Chills' "Part Past Part Fiction" from their 1990 album Submarine Bells.  (Do you know this New Zealand band?  I think this album is their best one.)

Ingredients:

--2 lb. chuck roast

--4 c. beef stock beef stock

--4 Golden Delicious apples, cored and sliced

--6 red potatoes, chopped

--3 tbsp. olive oil

--1 small yellow onion, chopped

--4 tbsp. unsalted butter

--3 tbsp. flour

--1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

--10 whole cloves

--1 cinnamon stick

--2 crushed bay leaves

-- 1/4 c. gin (if you can find juniper berries, I'd use 2 tsp. of them instead!)

--salt and pepper, to taste

In a Dutch oven (or any large stock pot if you're sans Dutch oven), heat 2 tbsp. butter.  Add chopped onions and cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes, or just until the onions have begun to caramelize.  Add the chock roast and brown on either side.  Add the beef stock, vinegar, and gin, and bring to a boil.  Once the liquid has begun to boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, add salt & pepper (approx. 1 tbsp. each) and the spices (the cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick).  Cover, stirring occasionally.  Allow to cook for 3-4 hours (you'll know it's done when the beef is extremely tender and flakes with a fork).

While the beef is cooking, line a baking sheet with foil and spread the potatoes evenly across.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper, and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (sample a few!).  

After you've put the potatoes in the oven, in a small saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. butter over low heat.  Once melted, slowly whisk in 3 tbsp. flour slowly until you've created a roux.  Now, remove 1-2 c. of the braising liquid from your Dutch oven and slowly whisk 1 1/2 c. into the small saucepan.  Whisk until fully combined and you've got a creamy, delicious gravy.  (If you like a thinner gravy, add more of the braising liquid).  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Once the beef is tender, remove from the braising liquid and excise the excess fat (if you like the fat, you can leave it, of course).  Add the apple slices to the braising liquid, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Boil the apples for approximately 10 minutes, or until soft.

Once the apples are soft, serve beef with all the (Dutch) fixin's!