Project Foodie - Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey (and yummy!)

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey (and yummy!)

Save Recipe: Banana Bread Pudding with Hot Fudge and Toasted Walnuts

Do you get excited by dessert? Jill O'Connor's new cookbook "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey" gets me really excited about dessert! This fun cookbook is packed with highly tantalizing, tempting and scrumptious recipes. But it is Jill's writing and wit that really pulled me in. Through Jill's stories and recipes, we learn of all the gooey sticky morsels she loves, we learn of the inspiration for many of her recipes, we learn of the tools and techniques she uses, and we learn how to make theses delicious treats ourselves. Just as her "Heart of Darkness" brownies are so jam packed with goodies that she recommends baking them in a muffin pan this cookbook is simply overfilled with wonderful recipes, stories and knowledge. Jill tells us when to use baking soda verses baking powder, the difference between the many types of coconut, cocoa, honey and much more. Test drive "Banana Bread Pudding with Hot Fudge and Toasted Walnuts" and see for yourself just how exciting dessert can be.

Banana Bread Pudding with Hot Fudge and Toasted Walnuts

From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Conner, Chronicle Books 2007

My husband, Jim, tasted banana bread pudding at one of his favorite San Francisco restaurants and raved about it for months. He asked me to duplicate it and finally I relented. When he said "banana bread pudding," I though he meant a bread pudding made with banana bread. Not exactly what he had in mind. His response was less than enthusiastic, and I realized you can't have a thin skin when testing new recipes. My second attempt, however, hit the mark: a cream-rich, eggy custard spiked with ripe bananas and combined with fat cubes of cinnamon-toasted, buttery brioche. Heaven for banana and comfort food lovers alike. It only gets better when drizzled with warm, dark chocolate sauce and a generous sprinkling of toasted walnuts.

1 Loaf Brioche (13 ounces) cut crosswise into 12 slices about 1 inch thick
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons cold butter cut into little bits
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
8 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
My Favorite Ganache (see below)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream for serving (optional)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular or oval baking dish.

Brush both sides of the brioche slices with the melted butter. Stir together ½ cup of the sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle both sides of the buttered brioche with the cinnamon-sugar, reserving 2 tablespoons for topping the pudding. Cut each slice into 4 squares (like big croutons) place on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven until golden brown and crisp all over, tossing occasionally, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

In a large bowl big enough to hold the custard and the bread, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, the remaining 1 cup sugar, and the vanilla. Gradually whisk in the cream and milk. Stir in the salt and mashed bananas. Add the brioche croutons and stir to coat them with the custard.

Pour the pudding mixture into the prepared dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight to allow the bread to absorb much of the custard.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and dot the top with the cold butter bits. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar. Cover the bread pudding with aluminum foil. Pierce a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pudding and continue baking until it is puffed and golden and when a knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut the pudding into squares and drizzle each serving with ganache and a sprinkling of walnuts. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

My Favorite Ganache

From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Conner, Chronicle Books 2007

8 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Combine the cream, butter, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until butter is melted and the corn syrup is combined with the cream. Bring to a boil. Just as the bubbles start to rise, pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth and creamy.

About Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

Chocolate Caramel-Pecan Souffle Cake . . . Cinnamon-Donut Bread Pudding . . . Double-Crumble Hot Apple Pies . . . Giant Coconut Cream Puffs . . . Here's a collection of desserts that gives more than 75 sticky, chewy, messy, gooey reasons to stock up on napkins. In addition to each sugary favorite, the author has included simple techniques and tools to help home cooks recreate each decadent treasure again and again. Sprinkled throughout are tips on using phyllo dough, toasting nuts, and making a heavenly ganache, so every over-the-top treat tastes as irresistible as it sounds. For the serious sweet tooth, pour a tall glass of milk and get ready to bite into all that's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey!