Almond Bread Pudding

I just made the most delicious bread pudding. I used 3 different recipes and then modified them to make it my own so I thought that I have to hurry and record it so I don't forget it. I had half a loaf of home made white bread that was going stale that inspired me to make bread pudding but the recipes all call for a loaf of french bread. I'm sure you can use what ever you have laying around. I was a little cautious about the sauce but in turned out to be the perfect complement to the pudding so give it a try!

1 loaf stale french bread or 1/2 loaf stale white bread

1 cups heavy cream

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

7 oz almond paste, crumbled

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F (160 C).

Cut bread into 1 inch square. Place in medium bowl and soak in cream for 1 hour. Push bread down and stir slightly to ensure it soaks in cream evenly. 

In large bowl beat eggs slightly. Whisk in sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Carefully add bread mixture, almonds and crumbled almond paste and mix carefully until the mixture is even incorporated.

Melt butter in warmed oven in a 9 x 13 inch backing pan. Poor mixture evenly into baking pan and sprinkle remaining 3 Tbsp of sugar over top. Bake approximately 40 minutes or until edges are brown and beginning to pull away from the side.

Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Heat butter and sugar in small sauce pan stirring continuously until incorporated but not boiling. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Allow mixture to cool and then add sour cream. Beat by hand until sauce is creamy. Serve over warm pudding.       

Butter Fingers

This is our family's classic easy bread stick that we eat with any dinner. We also love having left overs and then have them with strawberry jam for breakfast.



1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk

Heat oven to 450. In a square 9x9 baking dish melt butter in oven

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl. Add milk. Stir just until dough forms (about 30 strokes).

Turn dough onto well-floured surface. Roll dough around to coat with flour. Kneed lightly about 10 times. Shape into an 8 inch square (same size as bottom of baking dish). With floured knife, cud dough in half, then cut each half into 9 strips. Dip each strip into melted butter, coating both sides. Arrange strips close together in 2 rows in pan. Bake 15-20 min or until golden brown.

Sunnyboy Muffins

These are good hardy muffins that we love for breakfast or any time of day when we feel like a nutritious snack. We have them with butter and strawberry jam. Delicious! I also freeze the extras and then put them in the microwave for 30 seconds and then I can enjoy them days or weeks later. 
In Canada there is a grain cereal called Sunnyboy Cereal which is used to make a hardy porridge like breakfast. It contains cracked wheat, rye and flax and it is what I traditionally used in this recipe but now that I am living in the US I had to find something else to make do. In the bulk section of the grocery store I found a 9 grain cereal that is a great substitute. Hopefully you can find something in your area to use too.

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 egg
1 cup sour milk OR 2 Tbsp vinegar + milk to  equal 1 cup
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mixed cracked grain cereal
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375F and grease muffin tins.

Cream together sugar, butter and egg.

Dissolve baking soda in milk. Be sure to use a bowl or measuring cup large enough for the mixture to grow and not overflow. Add to sugar, butter, egg mixture.

Stir in last 3 dry ingredients.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full (these muffins never raise very much for me) and bake in hot oven for 25 minutes.

Apple Puffy Oven Pancakes

This is one of our favorite breakfasts. It definitely gets 5 STARS!


2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 medium apple
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt


Heat oven to 400 F.
Melt butter in pie plate, 9 x 11 1/4 inches, in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over melted butter.
Peal and thinly slice apple. Arrange over sugar and cinnamon.
Beat eggs slightly in a medium bowl. Beat in flour, milk and salt until just mixed. Do not over beat or the pancake will not puff). Pour mixture over apples.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Immediately turn upside down onto serving plate. Serve with syrup for a little extra sweetness.



I have had to double this recipe when cooking for more then just my husband and I. It is a little tricky to still make it puff up but it can be done and even if it doesn't, it is still delicious. Here are some changes to make when doubling.
Use 1/3 cup butter in a 13 x 9 pan and keep the salt at 1/4 tsp. You can double everything else.

Double Chicken Corn Chowder with a Kick and Baking Powder Biscuits

Due to the lazy kick off of my website the plan tonight is to post two recipes to make up for it. There is nothing better then corn chowder on a rainy Oregon day. I do have my classic corn chowder recipe that I always make (yes, I will post that one some day as well) but this week we tried something new that rivaled my classic. This corn chowder got 4 STARS from us. The kick comes from the Old Bay Seasoning which you can adjust depending on how much spice you like. If you don't have, or can't find, Old Bay Seasoning I'm sure you can use any seasoning salt to taste with an added bit of paprika.


6 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
2 large unpeeled red potatoes
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken - I usually boil a chicken breast or two and shred, you can also use a rotisserie chicken from the store
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2 cans cream style corn
2/3 cup milk
3 tbsp flour
1-3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning


Cook the bacon in a large frying pan or in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy. Put the bacon on a paper towel (but not too close to the burner you will be cooking with or you will have a similar experience as me and end up beating out flames with your spoon).
Leave the bacon drippings in the pan and add the chopped onion. Cook until softened. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes and add to onions. Mix together flour and Old Bay Seasoning. Sprinkle over potatoes and onions and cook, stirring constantly until the spices are fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add chicken broth, raise heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower to medium heat, cover and cook until potatoes begin to soften and the mixture thickens slightly (about 7 minutes).
Stir in chicken, corn and milk. Return to a low boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Turn the heat low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and the chowder has a thick, creamy consistency (about 15 minutes). Ladle into soup bowls and crumple a generous serving of bacon over each serving.


Corn chowder is not corn chowder without baking powder biscuits...

2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Heat over to 450 F.
Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, fork, or two criss-crossing knives, until mixture looks like fine bread crumbs. Stir in milk.
Drop dough by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and with butter.