Bread Pudding

1 baguette (10 oz)
2 T butter, melted
1/3 c raisins
3 eggs
1 pt half and half
1 c milk
1/3 c sugar
2 t vanilla extract
2 T apricot jam or orange marmalade
cinnamon
2 T Kahlua

Butter an 8-inch glass square baking dish.

Slice the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. You won't need the whole loaf, but cut about 20 slices. Place the slices on a broiler rack, and toast them on both sides under the broiler until browned. Break each slice into four or five pieces and put the toasted pieces in a large bowl. You should have about 2 cups of toast pieces. Drizzle the butter over the toast pieces and stir to coat. Place the toast pieces in the baking dish. Scrape any melted butter over the pieces. Sprinkle the raisins over the toast pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a saucepan, bring a quart of water to a boil. While the water is heating, mix the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, and jam until fully combined. Pour over the toast pieces. With the back of a spoon, push the toast pieces into the liquid so that the toast absorbs the custard mixture. Sprinkle the top of the pudding with cinnamon.

Place the baking dish in the center of a 9-inch x 13-inch cake pan. Pour the boiling water into the cake pan. Carefully, place the pudding and its water bath in the preheated oven and bake 35 - 40 minutes. The pudding is done when a knife stuck in the middle of the pudding comes out clean (rather than coated with pudding). Do not overcook!

Remove the pudding's baking dish from the water bath. Spread the Kahlua over the top of the bread pudding. Refrigerate it until serving. The pudding can be served cold, at room temperature, or slightly warm.

Peach-Apricot Cobbler

This recipe was modified using a similar recipe from the Washington Post Food Section, March 18, 2009, Page F8. From David Hagedorn.

2-12 oz packages frozen peaches, defrosted
4 oz dried apricots, diced (about 1/2 c)
2 oz crystallized ginger, diced (about 1/3 c)
1 stick unsalted butter
1-1/4 c flour
1-1/4 c sugar
1/4 t salt
1 T baking powder
1-1/4 c whole or low-fat milk
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla extract

Mix together well the fruits, ginger, and sugar. Set aside at room temperature for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Cut the butter into pieces, and place in a 10" cast-iron skillet, then place the skillet in the oven to melt the butter. It should turn brown, but not burn.

Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the milk and extracts until the batter is smooth.

Remove the skillet from the other. Pour the batter into the skillet; a crust will begin to form around the edge. Use a slotted spoon, and arrange the fruit on top of the batter, taking care not break the crust around the edge.

Bake in the oven for an hour until the crust has a deep golden brown. Cool slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Note: I fixed this dessert in too small a skillet (the original recipe says "medium" but does not define medium. I used a 9-inch skillet which was much too small. Happily, the dessert tastes so wonderful that it really doesn't matter what the dessert looks like coming out of the oven!

Orange Jello Angel Cake Dessert

Lois Skoog

1 package orange jello. Add 1 c boiling water, juice of 1 lemon, and 1 c orange juice. Allow mixture to thicken in refrigerator (about 25 minutes). Whip. Whip 1 c of cream, fold this whipped cream with the whipped jello. Pour over 1 large angel food cake broken in pieces. Add 2 c small marshmallows. Top with whipped cream (and a cherry, if desird). Will serve 12 to 15. 9" x 13" pan. (It took my jello a lot longer to jell than this said.)

Date Loaf

Crush: 1/2 lb graham crackers
Remove pits & cut into pieces: 1 lb dates (2 c)
Cut into pieces: 1/2 lb marshmallows
Chop fine 1 c nut meats (1/4 lb)
Whip: 1 c heavy cream
Fold in: 1 t vanilla

Combine 1/2 cracker crumbs with dates, marshmallows, nuts, & whipped cream. Shape into a roll. Roll in remaining cracker crumbs. Chill roll for 12 hours. Serve it cut in slices with cream or whipped cream.

Yorkshire Pudding

1-1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1-1/2 c milk
1/3 c shortening or beef drippings

Mix flour & salt. Add to beaten eggs & milk. This will make a thin batter. Set in refrigerator for 1 hour. Melt shortening in pan to be used for baking, to boiling hot. Pour batter into 9 x ll baking dish. Batter should be about 1/2 inch deep. Can be in muffin tins. Bake at 30 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve at once.

Note: You'll notice that Mother didn't specify an oven temperature. Try 400° for a metal pan or 375° for a glass pan. If you aren't using beef drippings, use butter. You can get by with 1/4 c.

Pineapple Tapioca Pudding

1/2 c min. tapioca
4 T sugar
1/4 t salt
1 egg yolk
4 c milk
4 T butter
1/2 c br. sugar, packed
1 c canned curshed pineapple
1/3 c nut meats (broken)
1 egg white stiffly beaten
1 c whipping cream

Combine tapioca, sugar, salt, eg yold & milk in top touble boiler & stir enough to break yolk. Place over rapidly boiling water & after scalding point is reached cook 5 min. stirring frequently. Remove from boiling water. Melt butter in sauce pan; add br. sugar & cook until sugar is dissolved & mixture bubbles. Add pineapple & nuts & add to tapioca mixture. Fold small amount into egg white & fold in the remaining tapioca mixture. When cool fold in whipping cream (just before serving).

Crusty Apple Pudding

Harriett Ravenscroft

Pare and slice 1 quart apples. Put in large baking pan. Add 1 cup water or more, according to apples. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place on stove to simmer while preparing crust.

Crust:
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Sift dry ingredients. Add egg. Mix till crumbly. Sprinkle over apples and bake in medium oven until golden brown. Serve with cream.

Auriol Jackson's Cherry Jell-O Trifle

During the 1980s, I attended St. Margaret's Parish in downtown Washington, D.C. One of the parishioners shared this recipe in the parish's cookbook, Holy Smoke.

12 ladyfingers
1/2 cup sherry or port
cherry or currant jelly
1-3 ounce package cherry Jell-O
1-16 ounce can sweet cherries, drained
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 small package instant pudding or pie filling
whipping cream

Split the ladyfingers and spread with the jelly. Sandwich the ladyfingers and arrange in the bottom of a large glass dish or trifle mold. Pour the sherry or port over the ladyfingers.

Prepare the gelatin according to package directions. Let the gelatine cool (but not jell!), then pour over the ladyfingers. Drain the cherries, and arrange them over the ladyfingers. Mix the brown sugar and cocoa together and spinkle on top of the cherries. Chill in the refrigerator until firm.

Make the pudding mix according to the package directions (it should yield two cups). If the pudding is cooked, let it cool completely. Spread the pudding over the cherries. Chill until firm. Garnish the top of the pudding with whipped cream.

Apple Kugel

Ron clipped this recipe from somewhere. I like it.

1/4 pound flat noodles
8 ounces tofu
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
grated peel of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons honey
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 medium apples, cored and grated
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Cook noodles in salted, boiling water until barely tender. Drain and set aside. In a blender, process the tofu, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon peel, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth.

Stir together the noodles, apples, raisins, and tofu mixture. Grease a 2-quart casserole. Pour the mixture into the casserole. Combine the bread crumbs, nuts, and melted butter, and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. The kugel will firm up as it cools.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

This is another "Susan" recipe that I have since discovered comes from an old Betty Crocker™ cookbook. Susan gave this recipe to my mother, and my mother told me that it came from Betty Crocker. Sure enough, I looked up Betty, and there it was! The ironic twist to all of this, is that I grew up with the Betty Crocker Cookbook, but we never had this dessert while I was growing up. See, marriage does many good things for you. I don't advocate marriage for all gay men, but for some, marriage is a treasure trove of great recipes and laundry tips. Check it out, guys.

1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/3 cup chopped nuts
6 tablespoons cocoa
1-1/3 cup brown sugar
2-3/4 cups very hot water

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and 3 tablespoons cocoa. Stir in the milk and vegetable oil. Stir in the nuts. Spread the mixture in a 9"x13" pan. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining cocoa and the brown sugar. Pour the hot water over the batter.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or topping, although it's really good just by itself.