Chocolate-Walnut Bread Pudding

OK, I agree, this is a really good recipe- thanks for your emails. I am making it on this week's episode of George Hirsch Living it UP!. I believe I also take you hot air ballooning in beautiful Sedona, Arizona. So be sure to tune in.

Chocolate-Walnut Bread Pudding Recipe

Makes 10-12 servings 

As Seen On George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series

chefgeorgehirsch.com

I like to use day-old French Bread in bread pudding because it has more flavor than the gummy white kind. Cinnamon-raisin bread, sweet rolls, even left over Irish soda bread can also be substituted for part of the bread. Puree some seasonal berries for a sauce or serve with a little vanilla sauce spiked with a wee-bit of Irish.

Directions:

3-4 cups cubed dry French bread

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup raisins, plumped in 1 cup hot water for 5 minutes

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

4 cups milk

8 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons vanilla

1 Teaspoon nutmeg

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, butter, and beat with a whisk until well blended. Slowly pour over the bread, raisin, nut and chocolate mixture. Poke the bread so that it’s completely covered with the milk mixture and let sit for 10-15 minutes. 

Place a pan larger than the cake pan or skillet in preheated oven and place the pan holding the bead pudding inside. Immediately fill the outer pan with enough hot water so that it comes up one inch on the sides of the bread-pudding pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 25 additional minutes.

Remove the bread-pudding and allow to set for two hours before removing it from the pan.

Serve with warm fruit or vanilla sauce.

Three Generations of Shortbread

The Heritage Shortbread story is heart warming and so are their all natural sweet biscuits. Willow McGrain's South Carolina Lowcountry kitchen is where each and every buttery-rich shortbreads are baked from. The century old shortbread recipe was never written down- I'd say, the best kept family secret from Willow's Scottish origin. I wonder if Willow's great-great-grandmother imagined her holiday baking tradition would become a holiday shopping demand around the country? You can get them or send them.

Authentic Sacher Torte

Exclusively available at the Hotel Sacher Wien, the Hotel Sacher Salzburg, the Café Sacher Innsbruck, the Café Sacher Graz and at the Sacher Shop in Bolzano. Just like 175 years ago, the cakes are covered with apricot jam, iced with chocolate and packed in wooden boxes by hand. 

This Hotel Sacher specialty is a purely natural product, made without chemical preservatives. The "Original Sacher-Torte" is traditionally served with unsweetened whipped cream and a cup of "Original Sacher Café". More than 300,000 cakes are produced at the Hotel Sacher per year, more than half of them are sent to destinations all over the world. 

If you missed your flight to Vienna this weekend, order takeout: Order by December 8th to receive prior to Christmas: Original Sacher-Torte 19.50-39.50 EUR plus 26 EUR for 14 day air mail delivery (aprox $59-$85U.S.).

Tarte Tatin, A Confused Apple Pie

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So the original legend tells that an apple Tarte was made upside down by mistake—and so, I call it a confused apple pie. And the tart is still a tart with or without the e.

Believe it or not- Tarte Tatin is easier to make than apple pie and could even have a higher appeal because it’s served warm. So put your best pastry move on and make it for your guests for dessert. They’ll love the show! 

Heads up. There is no need to fret- you won't make a mistake with my version. There are only four ingredients. I’ve prepared this recipe thousands of times, in my restaurants, on TV shows, and when entertaining guests. I haven't received one complaint yet, and note, dessert plates are always empty.

My only advice, as with all new recipes and techniques prepared; please first try making it for yourself before serving. I encourage practice. Your guests may not say anything, but there is nothing worse than being the victim of a first-time recipe trial. 

Back to the pastry. Follow the recipe below. Basically, set up your sugar, butter, sliced apples, cover with puff pastry dough (you can buy puff pastry available at grocer's frozen section), and arrange in a non-stick pan. Cover with plastic wrap (or cling film) and place in the refrigerator until thirty minutes prior to baking. Then, follow the instructions below.

Tarte Tatin

Makes six servings

 chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 large green apples, peeled, cut into quarters, remove the core and cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 stick sweet butter

1/4-1/2 cup pure cane granulated sugar, depends on tartness of apples

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread room temperature butter in the bottom of a nine-inch nonstick ovenproof sautés pan. Sprinkle sugar completely over the bottom of the pan. Arrange apple slices on top of the sugar.  Cover apples with puff pastry dough, but do not stretch the dough. Press the dough lightly around the inside rim of the pan. Cutaway corners of excess dough, so puff pastry fits into the round sauté pan. With the tip of a knife, poke three to four tiny holes in the dough.

On the stovetop, begin to cook the tart on high heat until the dough begins to bubble. This will take about 3-4 minutes. By cooking on the stovetop, you are browning the sugars and apples. If the dough bubbles up too high, gently pierce the dough with the tip of a knife to allow excess steam to escape. Once the tart has been cooked on the stovetop, place the tart in the oven for ten to twelve minutes or until the pastry is light brown and fully baked.

Remove tart from oven, allow to set about thirty seconds. CAREFULLY, with a large serving platter place inverted over the tart. With a towel holding the hot pan and another hand on top of the inverted platter, turn the platter right side up and un-mold the tart from the sauté pan. 

Top with powdered sugar. Serve warm with fresh whip cream or ice cream. Enjoy your Tarte Tatin.

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Cheesesteak VS. Cheesecake, The World Series

If you had to choose between thinly sliced ribeye beef, griddled with fried onions and topped with melted Cheez Whiz (just what the hell is that anyway?) on an Amoroso roll; OR a creamy, rich-n-smooth New York style cheesecake- WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE? This week that's a pretty serious question. And some are betting big on the winner. 

Forget that the Yankees have the best team money can buy, hands down, I'm supporting my NY family tradition and picking Yankees and the New York Style Cheesecake.

BTW, If the Yankees lose, New York City's Hunts Point Terminal Market will donate a truckload of local produce to a Philadelphia Food Bank. If the Phillies lose, the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market will send food to a New York City Food Bank. That's great to hear!
 
And, in case you didn’t already know, the first game of the World Series is set for Wednesday night, 8PM EST from New York.