Irish Bread Pudding

George Hirsch March 13, 2025

Lá Fhéile Pádraig: Gaelic for Saint Patrick's Day or St. Paddy's. I like to use day-old French bread in my bread pudding recipe, or Cinnamon-raisin bread, sweet rolls, and even leftover Irish Soda Bread can also be used. Serve with a vanilla ice cream spiked with a wee bit of Irish. Slàinte

Irish Bread Pudding

Makes 10-12 servings

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2 Granny Smith or baking apples, peel, cored, and chopped

3-4 cups cubed dry French Bread, Irish Soda, Brown Bread, or Cinnamon Raisin Bread

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 cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons vanilla

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup Irish Whisky

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pre-grease an 8 x 8-inch or 10-inch round cake pan.

CLICK to Watch classic Irish segment Pubs, Pints, People from George Hirsch Living it UP! — **CLICK to Watch** classic Irish segment Pubs, Pints, People from *George Hirsch Living it UP!*

Combine the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and beat with a whisk until well blended. Add whiskey and slowly pour over the bread mixture. Add optional chopped chocolate. Poke the bread, 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 to come up one inch on the sides of the bread-pudding pan.

Bake at 375 degrees F. 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 twenty minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream and a good Irish Coffee! Sláinte!

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Best Chocolate Cake Ever

George Hirsch November 8, 2024

Simple solutions can give you the best results. Machines and gadgets are very important to many people, but I enjoy cooking when a simple whisk, spoon, or spatula does the job. This is the case with the Chocolate Torta recipe from my TV series George Hirsch Lifestyle episode, Old World Traditions. Enjoy.

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Mix by hand and bake. Forty-five minutes later you’ll be savoring this Italian Pastry delight!

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George's Chocolate Torta

Makes 12 servings

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1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1-1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

1/3 cup sweet butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 egg white, beaten into whole egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan and line with baking parchment paper; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cocoa and granulated sugar until blended. With a wire whisk, beat in water, then melt butter, egg, egg white, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. On a wire rack, cool for ten minutes in a pan. With a small spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Place on a plate and sprinkle with confectioner sugar and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. To serve, cut into small wedges.

Baking Tip:

This cake actually tastes better when baked and aged one day in advance. When making ahead, allow it to cool completely on a wire screen, then cover it tightly in an airproof container or place the baked chocolate torta back into the cake pan and wrap the top with film.

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Rosé Peach Pie

georgehirsch August 7, 2024

George Hirsch's Rosé Peach Pie

Makes 8 servings

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1 recipe pastry for George’s Favorite 3, 2, 1 Pie Crust, see below

There are three main ingredients in a Pate Brisee basic pie crust: 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part liquid. Flour forms the structure of the crust, and fat adds flavor and a flaky texture while the liquid binds the dough.

Fresh peaches as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Chill the fat (butter, margarine, shortening, or lard) and liquids (milk or water) before you begin. Chilling keeps the pie crust flaky, preventing the fat pieces from melting into the flour and becoming tough. Next, mix the flour, cut the chilled fat into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter, or pinch the fat into the mixture with your hands. The resulting mixture should have fat lumps no larger than the size of raisins. If making pie in the summertime, cool off the flour by measuring your flour and refrigerate one hour before making dough.

Pour in the chilled liquid until the flour is absorbed, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. You should be able to gently press the dough into a ball. Mix the dough as little as possible: you don't want to cream the lumps of fat into the flour, as a crust without lumps of fat will be dense, not flaky. Note that humidity will affect how much liquid the flour will absorb.

Split the dough into two equal parts. Pat them into balls, flatten them slightly, and wrap them in plastic wrap. The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but overnight is preferred. Chilling lets the flour absorb all of the liquid, let the dough relax and become more elastic, and keep the fat in separate pieces, giving the crust a lighter texture when baked.

To make the pie shell:
Dust a clean, dry surface with flour; avoid using too much flour, as this will dry out the crust. Remove and unwrap one of the discs of dough from the refrigerator. Flatten the dough slightly with your hands and dust lightly with flour before rolling it out with a rolling pin. Start rolling at the center of the dough and work outwards.

Working quickly, roll the dough into a circle a quarter-inch thick. The size of the dough round should be wider in diameter than your pie pan; the amount will vary depending on the depth of your pie plate. Use a dry pastry brush to sweep away any excess flour.

Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and roll it out over the pie plate. Press the pastry firmly into the pan without stretching the dough, and trim any excess dough from the edge. Leave a one-inch overhang to make a decorative fluted edge, or trim it to a half-inch if you add a top crust. If the dough cracks a little during this process, press it back together with your fingers or patch the cracks with a bit of dough from the outer edges.

Place filling in the bottom crust and unwrap the second dough ball. Repeat the above step to roll out the pie dough. Brush the bottom pie dough around the edges lightly with water to seal the edges of the crust. Carefully lay the top piece of pie dough over the filled pie. Tuck the edges of the top crust under the lower crust and press together lightly. Using the rim of the pie plate as a guide, create a fluted edge with your fingers or the back of a fork.

For the peach pie, cut a small hole to vent the top, allowing excess steam to escape during baking. Brush the surface with egg wash, made of one egg and one teaspoon of water, and bake as directed.

This recipe made with butter will result in a lighter and more flavorful crust.

George’s Favorite Pie Crust Recipe
Makes one pie or two bottom crusts

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1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold milk

Chill the butter and milk before you begin. Chilling keeps the pie crust flaky, preventing the fat pieces from melting into the flour and becoming tough.

Next, mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut the chilled butter into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or pinch the fat into the mixture with your hands. The mixture should have fat lumps no larger than the size of raisins. If making pie crust in the summertime, cool off the flour by measuring your flour and refrigerate one hour before making dough.

Pour in the chilled liquid until the milk is absorbed, mixing gently with a fork. You should be able to press the dough into a ball gently. Mix the dough as little as possible: you don't want to cream the lumps of butter into the flour. A crust without lumps of butter will be dense, not flaky. Note that humidity will affect how much liquid the flour will absorb.

Split the dough into two equal parts. Pat them into balls, flatten them slightly, and wrap them in plastic wrap. The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is preferred. Chilling lets the flour absorb all of the liquid, lets the dough relax and become more elastic, and keeps the fat in separate pieces, giving the crust a lighter texture when baked.

To Make Peach Filling with Rosé Simple Syrup: In a small saucepan, add 3/4 bottle of Rosé wine and ¼ cup pure cane granulated sugar. Simmer and reduce to about 1 cup. Chill. Pour rosé reduction over 8 sliced peaches and marinate overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

Drain the rosé simple syrup after the 8 sliced peaches have marinated in rosé overnight. *Reserve the peach-flavored rosé syrup. Add the additional 2 sliced peaches.

8 medium-sized fresh ripe peaches, cut into 1-inch slices

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 medium-sized fresh ripe peaches, cut into 1-inch slices

½ cupcake crumbs; use pound cake, sponge cake, etc.

Mix flour and brown sugar, add to peaches, and toss until fully combined.

Roll out the pie dough and place the bottom in a 9-inch pie pan. Cover the bottom with cake crumbs.

Fill with peaches, mounded slightly. Roll out the top pie dough and cover it with a top crust or a lattice crust. To add a richer color to a double-crust or lattice-topped pie, brush the top crust with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with a teaspoon of water) before baking. Refrigerate peach pie before baking for 1 hour to slightly chill the dough.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake directly on the oven rack; do not use a sheet pan. After 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 additional minutes or until done. To test doneness, tap the edge of the crust lightly with a finger, and you should hear a hollow sound.

Chefs Note: *The drained marinated peach syrup can be added to Prosecco or club soda for the best Bellini or peach mimosa!

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Affogato

George Hirsch July 24, 2024

Affogato literally means "drowned" in Italian. This Italian dessert with espresso + gelato perfectly combines bitterness and sweetness. Some might say it's a sophisticated version of a Gelato Domenica.

Affogato

4 servings

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4 cup premium vanilla gelato or ice cream

4 2 ounce servings of fresh brewed espresso

Brew fresh espresso. Dish-up four servings of ice cream or gelato. Pour hot espresso over the ice cream and serve immediately.

Optional: Add a tablespoon of your favorite liqueur, or crush a few of my favorite biscotti on top!

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Summer Classic

George Hirsch July 10, 2024

Who doesn’t smile when a tall shake is in sight? Shakes are easy enough to make yourself at home. They're a perfect treat on a warm summer night, and they're even better as a dessert or treat when topped with a thin, crisp wafer cookie! The cost of a smile followed by a brain freeze? Priceless!