Thursday, December 06, 2007

Holiday Party Season

Ah the holidays . . . . and the cooking has started.

Tomorrow, I'm attending the Phenom's cast party. We actually do this very quaint potluck thing rather than a big catered affair. I think that the cast members are quite tired of processed food and catering by this time in the year and really long for home cooking.

I'm reviving the Pumpkin Bread Pudding I made for the last tail gate. I found the recipe on the internet and doctored it a tad. But, it is easy and tasty.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding:

8 oz french bread, torn into small pieces -- about 5 cups
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
3 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 brown sugar
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup golden raisins -- soaked overnight in 2 tbls whiskey
3 tbls melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla

Candied Pecans and Whiskey Sauce.


Butter a largish baking dish -- 11x7 baking dish, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

pour 1/2 and 1/2 over torn bread, set aside

combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, raisins, butter, spices and vanilla -- pour over bread mixture and mix.

Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 45 -60 minutes until center is set. Cool just a bit before serving.

To make the candied pecans -- melt 3 tbls butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup chopped pecans in skillet -- until sugar is melted -- about 3 minutes -- stir in 1 tbls heavy cream and cook another minute -- top baked pudding with pecans.

Whiskey Sauce -- from Joy of Cooking --

in a heavy saucepan, melt one stick of butter

stir in : 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup whiskey, 2 tbls water, 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp salt: stir until sugar is melted.

remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk until frothy 1 egg -- then slowly whisk it into the sauce -- Keep warm and serve over the bread pudding. By the end of the evening, people will be pouring this sauce over everything.

I'm also bringing boiled, chilled shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce with lots of horseradish -- because in the south, you have to have shrimp if it's christmas.

1 comment:

MYM said...

This would be great if I knew how to use my stove/oven. Okay, I do know how to use it - I just choose not to.