Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [153]
heat the berries, superfine sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan until the mixture comes to a boil. Taste the syrup and add more sugar is it is too tart. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh; you should have 2/3 to ¾ cup of syrup. Put the bread in the slow-cooker insert and stir in the peaches. Pour the raspberry syrup over all.
whisk together the cream, eggs, orange zest, Grand Marnier, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until blended. Pour over the bread in the slow-cooker insert and push the bread down to submerge it.
cover and cook on high for about 3 hours, until puffed and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 185°F. Uncover and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
Cappuccino Bread Pudding
A cappuccino from your favorite coffee bar is transformed into a jolt of a dessert in this simple slow-cooker preparation. Using leftover bread or croissants, this dessert can even be served as a wake-up call for breakfast!
8 cups torn stale egg bread, challah or croissants
2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ cups sugar
½ cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for garnishing (optional)
Hot fudge sauce for drizzling (optional)
spray the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
spread the torn bread evenly in the bottom of the slowcooker insert and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Whisk together the cream, espresso, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl until blended. Pour over the bread and chocolate, pushing the bread down to submerge it.
sprinkle the pudding with the cinnamon sugar (if using). Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for about 3 hours, until puffed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 185°F. Uncover and allow the pudding to cool for about 30 minutes.
serve from the cooker set on warm and accompany with hot fudge sauce for drizzling.
serves 8
Double Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Chocolate is one of those simple pleasures in life. Deep and rich, melting, gooey, and comforting, chocolate makes even the worst day a bit more bearable. This chocolate bread pudding embodies all I love best about chocolate. It is warm, and the chocolate is laced throughout the pudding and then found again in chunks melting into the bread. Make this on a day when you need to scream “I love chocolate” to the world. You won’t be sorry!
8 cups torn stale croissants, egg bread, or challah
3 cups chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups heavy cream
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 cup sugar
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
arrange the bread in the slow cooker and sprinkle with 1½ cups of the chocolate. Melt the remaining chocolate with the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
whisk together the melted chocolate, cream, eggs, vanilla bean paste, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until blended; the mixture may look curdled. Pour over the bread and chocolate and push the bread down to submerge it.
cover and cook on high for about 3 hours, until puffed and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 185°F. Uncover and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
serve in the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
Piña Colada Bread Pudding
Each year my family spends Thanksgiving in Maui, not for the piña coladas but because we are college basketball fanatics and the season starts the week of Thanksgiving with an elite tournament in Maui. Our stay does include sitting by the pool and enjoying at least one or two piña coladas, those