Sasha's Kitchen: Banana Pudding

Magnolia Bakery is one of my favorite bakeries in New York.  Even though I am an avid cupcake baker myself, I still enjoy their famous cupcakes, and of course their banana pudding.  Recently, I picked up the Magnolia Bakery cookbook and have been making some of their recipes (soon I'll post the fabulous apple cake with caramel cream cheese frosting that I made for New Years Eve).  Their banana pudding is so simple and easy to make, but it is just the best.  I was a little skeptical given how easy the recipe was, but the end result made a huge amount of that famous banana pudding that they serve at the bakery.  My husband absolutely loved it.

Magnolia's Banana Pudding (from the Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice water
1 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding (use Jello brand)
3 cups heavy cream
1 12 oz box Nilla wafers
4 cups sliced ripe bananas

In a small bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water for a minute until well-combined.  Add the pudding mix an d beat for two minutes more.  Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before proceeding, which is important to allow the pudding to set completely.

In the mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high for about three minutes until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in the pudding mixture and blend completely in the mixer.

To assemble the dessert, use a large glass bowl with a 4-5 quart capacity.  Arrange 1/3 of the nilla wafers on the nottom and then 1/2 of the bananas and 1/3 of the pudding and repeat the layering twice more.  Cover and chill for at least four hours and no more than eight hours before serving.  This dessert serves 12-15 people and is perfect in my opinion for family gatherings!

Sasha's Kitchen: Banana Pudding

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Pot Au Creme

Ah, chocolate pot au creme, one of those wonderful desserts I enjoyed so much in Paris during our trip to Europe last August. I finally decided to bring a taste of that home and try it out here - its easy enough. Pot a creme is a bit like chocolate pudding, except its more of a cream than a pudding in its consistency - a very subtle difference. I used the following recipe, which resulted in a thick, rich and creamy pot au creme.

Chocolate Pot Au Creme
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 large egg yolks
1/3 of a cup of sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 and place the milk and cream in a saucepan, bringing it to a simmer. Remove from heat, and add the chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in another bowl with a whisk, and gradually combine this with the chocolate mixture. Strain into another bowl and cool for ten minutes.

Divide into 6 custard or souffle dishes. Cover the top of each one with foil and place in a large baking pan. Bring a pot of water to boil, and surround the dishes halfway up the side of the cups with the hot water, just like when you make creme brulee. Bake for about 55 minutes, then chill for three hours before eating.

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Pot Au Creme

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Pudding Bars from the New Baked Cookbook

My parents came to our house for Thanksgiving and my mom brought me the new baking cookbook, Baked, from the famous Brooklyn Bakery, Baked. The book looks to have so many great recipes, that I decided to make a couple as part of our Thanksgiving dinner. These were a delicious indulgence - perhaps not something you should be eating every day, but so decedent and perfect for a holiday meal, especially if you love chocolate pudding like I do. This recipe, termed "Aunt Sabra's Pudding Bars" in the Baked cookbook was enjoyed by our dinner guests over Thanksgiving. The graham crust was the perfect combination. I made a few minor modifications from the original recipe, which are noted in the adaption below (I used a bit less butter in the crust and it worked out just fine, and substituted rum for whiskey).

Baked's Aunt Sabra King's Pudding Bars (makes 24 bars)
Graham Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 T dark brown sugar
8 T (one stick) of melted butter (you could probably use even less and still get a good result)
Chocolate Pudding Filling
4 oz dark chocolate
3 T cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T rum or whiskey

As the book suggests, you can serve with powdered chocolate or whipped cream, but we served ours plain. To make the crust, combine the brown sugar, melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into a 9x13 inch, or appropriate sized prepared pan, to form the crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and then bake at 325 for 10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool while making the filling.

In a large, heatproof bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar. Add the egg yolks and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and whisk again. In a saucepan, whisk together the remaining sugar, milk and cream. Bring just to a boil. Add the egg mixture, whisking constantly, adding the egg mixture one third at a time. Bring mixture back to a boil over medium heat, and boil for two to three minutes until the pudding is very thick.  Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and stir until combined into a chocolate pudding. Allow the pudding to cool for 20 minutes, before pouring over the graham crust, spreading evenly with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least four hours before cutting and eating the bars.

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Pudding Bars from the New Baked Cookbook

Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Low Fat Summer Berry Shortcake

In my continuing quest to live a healthy lifestyle and maintain my 60 pound weight loss, I am contantly trying to find new low fat recipes for sweets; my downfall and - I'm sure - the downfall of many of us. One of my go-to substitutions is angel food cake. Spongy, sticky and delicious it has way fewer calories of other cakes; two points per serving on my program. Angel food cake pairs beautifully with fruit and makes a great treat.

When I used to work in a professional kitchen as a gardemanger we used to make the most amazing strawberry shortcake. When I was in the grocery store the other day I found the sweetest individual angel food cakes and decided I needed a shortcake! I started playing in my kitchen, and this is the delicious result!

Low Fat Summer Berry Shortcake

1 kg (2.2 lb) mixed berries (you could use frozen if you like for the sauce, but get some fresh for garnish)
1/2 c white wine
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 mini packaged angel food cakes
2 individual vanilla pudding packs (4 oz each)

Put the fruit, wine and salt in a medium pot to cook over moderate to high heat until the alcohol burns off. Add the cinnamon, lemon and honey. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced to be a bit syrupy.

In your dish layer a little of the fruit mix, torn up pieces of cake, then a layer of pudding (one pudding cup per layer in the dish I used). Repeat the layers until your dish is full (I got in two layers). Let the shortcake set up - covered - in the fridge for about four hours (or overnight); this gets better the more you let everything sink in together. Garnish with fresh fruit. Mine made 3-4 servings.
In lieu of the honey, you could use sugar, but I didn't have any at the time so I substituted with the honey. Also, I used a mini cassarole ramekin as I don't like having lots of sweets in my house, but the sauce makes enough that you could either have leftovers for topping yogurt, ice cream etc. or you could make one big dessert by just increasing the cake and pudding portions.

Michelle's Kitchen in Toronto - Low Fat Summer Berry Shortcake

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Coconut Bread Pudding

Bread pudding might be one of the most rewarding desserts.  It is beautiful looking, delicious and quite easy to make.  Bread pudding can be made in numerous flavors.  The essential thing is to pick a flavor that will soak nicely into toasted challah or brioche and will bake into a pudding like dessert.  My bread puddings have become almost famous among family and friends who I have served them for.  I frequently get requests to make the following bread pudding from family and friends who come for dinner, and it certainly has become a favorite of my husband's as well.  I love the way the coconut-cream mixture soaks into the bread, and the chocolate ganache topping is perfect, but not overpowering.

Sasha's Chocolate Coconut Bread Pudding (use an 8-9 inch casserole dish to bake)
5 oz bittersweet chocolate
5 large challah rolls
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can lite coconut milk
4 T melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
grated coconut (no sugar added)

-- Derived from Bobby Flay's similar Chocolate Coconut Bread Pudding Recipe

First, tear five large challah or brioche rolls into small pieces.  The rolls should not be fresh - a couple days old is perfect for this recipe.  Belt the butter, top the bread and toast at 350 F degrees in the oven until browned and crispy.

To prepare the pudding component, combine 2/3 of a cup of the heavy cream with the sugar and simmer for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat, allow to cool for about five minutes, and beat in the egg yolks and coconut extract.  Then, soak the bread in this mixture fully, for about 4-5 minutes.

Place the soaked bread in a casserole dish sprayed with PAM.  In the meantime, melt the chocolate on your stovetop in the remaining 2/3 cup of coconut milk until smooth and combined.  Pour on top of the bread pudding and smooth with a spatula.  Top liberally with the grated coconut.  Bake at 325 F until the pudding has a pudding-like consistency and can be sliced, for about 25 to 30 minutes.  You can use a toothpick or fork to test when it is done.

This is one of my favorite desserts and  I am so glad to share it with our readers!

Sasha's Kitchen: Chocolate Coconut Bread Pudding