Dulce de Leche-Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding

This was SOOOOO good!  Ask one of my neighbors.  I shared some with her :)  This was a great find in the March 2013 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine.  I love bananas.  And bread pudding.  And dulce de leche...and it was a winner, indeed.  I didn't even have ice cream to serve with it, but I should have.  It would have been over the top!  Enjoy!

Dulce de Leche-Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 loaf (14 to 16 oz) challah or brioche
• 1 cup store-bought dulce de leche (I used La Lechera canned)
• 1 pinch salt (I just used my sea salt grinder and did a pinch on each piece)
• 1 very ripe large banana, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups plus 3 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Coat an 8-inch glass baking dish with 1 Tbsp butter.  Trim the ends off the bread load, then slice the loaf crosswise into 10 slices, about 3/4 inch thick.  Using 1/2 cup dulce de leche, spread a thin layer on half of the bread slices.  Sprinkle with the salt; top with the banana slices.  Sprinkle one-third of the chocolate on top, then cover with the remaining bread slices to form sandwiches.  Cut each sandwich into 3 triangles.  Arrange the pieces in the prepared dish, placing some flat and others on their crust edge to create a craggy top.  (Really squish them all in there and create more sandwiches if needed)  Sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the bread.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.  Whisk in 2 cups milk and the vanilla.  Pour the milk mixture over the bread in the dish.  Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and drizzle over the top.  Let stand for 1 hour or chill for up to 12 hours.  Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.  Bake the bread pudding until it puffs up and is springy in the center, 45 to 55 minutes (if the bread pudding was chilled, bake for an extra 5 to 10 minutes).  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup dulce de leche with the remaining 3 tbsp milk over medium heat until smooth and beginning to bubble, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a small pitcher.  Cut the bread pudding into squares or scoop it with a spoon.  Serve in bowls with ice cream and the dulce de leche sauce.

Pecan Caramel Sticky Buns

If I had to choose one meal of the day that is my favorite, it is probably breakfast.  There are just so many things you can do with it, and quite frankly, you can have it any time of day!  Breakfast for dinner is always a crowd pleaser.  Always wanting to have some fresh cinnamon rolls or sticky buns can be a challenge, especially when you don't want to make your own dough or just pop open one of those tubes of pre-made cinnamon rolls with the package of icing.  Enter in these beauties....they are a great compromise.  Yes, they start with one of those tubes of dough but it's not what you think.  These rolls start with Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough.  They are the same wonderful thing as the crescent rolls but even better because there aren't any perforations - just one long sheet of dough, which is a perfect medium for creativity.  If you can't find this beautiful creation, I suggest using a regular tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls, or even the reduced fat version, and pinch to seal the perforations.  With that being said, I have an idea to try this recipe with a tube of french bread dough or pizza crust as it will make more yummy sticky buns.  The topping and filling ingredients will probably have to be doubled for that one.  The rest of the recipe is adding glorious ingredients to make a mound of deliciousness.  I assure you, these will be a HIT!  Something else that is different in this recipe is how they are cooked.  I put each individual roll in a cup of a muffin tin.  Doing this helps the rolls rise more in the center as they are not substantial enough to effectively rise tall in the center if put in a pie-pan with the rest of the rolls and as is traditionally done.  I also think it helps the topping stay on the rolls better.  Incidentally, I also found out that the topping ingredients are delicious over vanilla ice cream.  BONUS RECIPE!  Enjoy!

Pecan Caramel Sticky Buns

• 1 tube Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough or regular crescent roll dough
• Filling
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons chopped pecans
• Topping
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons low fat caramel dip
• 2 Tablespoons pancake syrup
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, unpacked
• 3 Tablespoons chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F.  To make the filling, in a small bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar.  Microwave for 10 seconds to melt the butter slightly.  Mix in the cinnamon and salt and combine well.  Set aside.  Take the seamless dough and lay out in a rectangle with the longest side facing you on a dry countertop or cutting board.  If using the regular crescent roll dough, pinch to seal the perforations.  Sprinkle the countertop with flour, if needed, to prevent sticking.  Spread the topping mixture on the dough, leaving a 1" border on all sides.  Sprinkle on the 2T of chopped pecans.  Roll up the dough, starting on the long side farthest away from you and rolling towards you.  Roll as tightly as possible so it creates a nice looking bun.  Pinch to seal.  Cut into eight equal pieces.  In a regular 12-cup muffin pan, grease 8 of the cups.  Place one roll in each cup.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the topping in a small bowl.  Put all the topping ingredients, except pecans, in a small bowl and microwave for approximately 30-45 seconds or until butter has mostly melted.  Add the pecans and mix thoroughly.  After rolls have baked for 10 minutes, evenly distribute topping among the rolls, about 1 Tablespoon each.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool slightly and gently remove from pan while still warm.  

Keurig Coffee Creativeness!

Just a bonus little "recipe" for you guys.  One of the best recent inventions is that of the single cup Keurig coffee brewer and their WIDE selection of K-cups.  They have over 200 varieties of K-cups!  And you have the option of having your own K-cup to fill with whatever coffee grounds you already have at your home.  If you are unfamiliar with a Keurig, it is a machine with a water-filled reservoir with a compartment to put these little cups that have a different kind of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate in it.  You put the K-cup in the compartment and choose whether you want a 6oz, 8oz, 12oz, etc mug filled.  They even have iced varieties available.  Each Keurig system has different features so you can find the one that fits you best.  I happened to get mine for Mother's Day in 2011 along with a Margaritaville machine!  I can actually combine the use of the two in making some delicious copycat Starbucks Frappuccinos...more on that later when the weather warms up :) You can even use the Keurig to dispense hot water in your desired amount for instant oatmeal, packets of instant hot cocoa, etc.

One morning, I got a little creative with my Keurig and thought I would share with you guys what I made.  I basically made my version of a caramel macchiato with supplies I had in my kitchen (minus the frothed foamy milk) but I hope you guys get the idea.  I happened to have a Starbucks Breakfast Blend K-cup that I used for this creation, but you can use what you have.  Any regular brew will do, and a flavored K-cup would give it a little more pizazz! Get creative with your Keurigs, or even your regular coffee, in the mornings when you have the house to yourself or during the weekend when everyone else is still asleep.  Take time to smell your coffee, to actually enjoy and savor each sip.  Enjoy!

Caramel Coffee Deliciousness

• 1 Starbucks Breakfast Blend K-cup
• Half and half
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• Approximately 1 Tablespoon fat-free caramel dip
• Whipped cream in a can
• Ground cinnamon

Prepare the K-cup on the 8oz setting.  Add sugar and half-and-half to taste.  Add caramel and stir until the caramel is dissolved.  Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.