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Microwave Oven Bread and Butter Pudding

I first made this recipe in the early 1980s in my talking microwave, which had a 750-watt capacity. Today’s microwave ovens provide at least 1200-watts of power. I have made a few changes.  

Lately, I have been making this pudding with brioche. My husband brought it home from the local grocery store when he couldn’t find the fruit bread I had requested. Believe it or not, it was made in France and shipped to my prairie city of Saskatoon, which, ironically, is often called the Paris of the Prairies. 

It isn’t necessary to use such a rich bread but doing so adds a little pizazz to a very simple dessert. If you choose to use a sweeter loaf like fruit bread, cinnamon buns, or brioche, then reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar, or less, depending on the bread you choose

¼ cup raisins 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt, optional

1 ½ cups of day-old bread, cut into cubes

Method:

Micro-melt the butter in a microwave-safe measuring bowl for 10 or 15 seconds. Let the melted butter cool slightly, then add the eggs, whisking immediately, to prevent the butter from cooking the eggs.    

Blend in the milk, sugar, raisins, vanilla, and 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt.   

Pour the liquid into a 1-quart microwave-safe casserole dish, add bread cubes, and let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with cinnamon. 

Cook on power 8 or medium-high for 2 minutes. Remove the dish from the microwave oven and stir. Return pudding to microwave oven and cook on power 8, for 2 more minutes. Stir. The pudding will continue to cook while it rests. 

This quick, easy to make pudding serves 4 people and is delicious warm or cold. We like it with maple syrup drizzled over the top. This pudding recipe provides a soft, comforting food enjoyed by family members of all ages. 

Caramelized Sugar Sauce

I have many delicious sauce recipes that contain brown sugar but making a sauce by melting white sugar reminds me of my late mother-in-law. I now own the small cast iron fry pan that she once used to melt the sugar. I prefer a lighter coloured pan so I can see how dark the sugar is becoming. Sauce made this way has a toffee flavour and is worth the effort, occasionally.  

Ingredients: 

2/3 cup of granulated sugar

1 cup of boiling water

2 teaspoons of cornstarch 

A dash of salt

1 tablespoon of cold water

1 tablespoon of butter

½ teaspoon of vanilla

Melt sugar on medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. On a burner calibrated from 1 to 10, I place the saucepan on heat 4. Resist the urge to stir the sugar, but keep an eye on it because once the edges melt, the rest gets golden very quickly. This can take up to 12 minutes. Be patient. 

To the now golden-brown liquid sugar, add one cup of boiling water slowly, while stirring. This can spatter, so be careful. Let this mixture simmer until it is smooth.

Mix the cornstarch and salt into the tablespoon of cold water. Gently whisk the cornstarch mixture into the caramel liquid. Cook until the cornstarch begins to bubble and thicken. 

Remove from heat and stir the butter and vanilla into the sauce. 

Cool the sauce and pour it into a glass jar or jug. Reheat when ready to serve. This sauce keeps for several days, refrigerated. 

Note: Try using a whole tablespoon of cornstarch for a slightly thicker sauce.

Grasmere Gingerbread

Sarah Nelson, born Sarah Kemp, invented Grasmere Gingerbread in the mid-1800s. Sarah was born before Queen Victoria and died after her, living 88 years, an accomplishment for the era. Although Sarah faced the inevitable challenges of her time, she was blessed with true love. 

Sarah and her husband moved their family to Church Cottage, a former village school in Grasmere, after losing their son to cholera. They hoped the move might help them protect their daughters from a similar fate. Sarah loved cooking in her Church Cottage kitchen, and she took a job cooking for a lodge to supplement the salary her husband made digging graves at the nearby church. 

In the winter of 1854, Sarah perfected her recipe for a spicy-sweet treat, something between a cookie and a cake, and named it Grasmere Gingerbread®. Soon, she began wrapping pieces of her new treat in parchment paper and selling them from her front door. Tourism was on the rise because rail transportation brought more people to the area.

Sarah was a true businesswoman. She placed her handwritten recipe in a safety deposit box, registered the Grasmere Gingerbread name, and kept working as the lodge cook while growing her gingerbread business. 

A century and a half later, people can still visit her little cottage, now known as The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, where her secret recipe is baked fresh daily. The delicious treat is also shipped around the world, which works because Grasmere Gingerbread isn’t fragile. 

You can read more about Sarah Nelson's amazing life by visiting HERE. 

I found this recipe in an old cookbook, and although it isn’t Sarah’s recipe, the squares are delicious and look quite a bit like true Grasmere Gingerbread. I had no idea what to expect when I made my first batch. At first, I was disappointed because the treat got harder as the days went on. One day, I dipped a piece in my tea, and I understood. This treat is like British biscotti. I ate the entire batch during a two week period. Yes, it keeps that long in a tin on the counter! It is the perfect ending for a quick lunch. 

My latest batch was lovely. I used a heavy, red enamelled pan and reduced the baking time. You will find a variety of recipes for Grasmere Gingerbread on the Internet, but I will remain loyal to this one until someone releases the secret notes of Sarah Nelson, which isn’t going to happen. 

Grasmere Gingerbread

Type of Bakeware: I use a red enamelled heavy pan that measures 9” by 9” at the top and narrows toward the bottom. This pan is a dark colour and quite heavy, so my baking time is less. 

Prepare pan: I oil the pan and line it with parchment paper. This allows me to pick up the entire square while it's still warm, move it to a cutting board, and slice it into 16 pieces.

Preheat the oven: 350°F.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

½ cup of butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ginger powder

1 tablespoon golden syrup

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup chopped candied peel

Method:

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and ginger. In a separate bowl, cream butter with brown sugar, then beat in the syrup. Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, forming a crumbly texture. If you can squeeze the crumbs and they hold together, you have the consistency correct. Add the peel. Press lightly into a prepared 9” by 9” pan.

Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares while the gingerbread is still warm. In this pan, my gingerbread was golden brown in 20 minutes. 

Check out the other shops in the area. 

Egg-Free Pastry-Flour Pie Crust

This pastry recipe is as delicious on a turkey pot pie as it is with pumpkin pie. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of cake and pastry flour

½ teaspoon of salt

½ cup of cold shortening

½ cup of cold butter

½ cup of ice-cold water

1 tablespoon of white vinegar

Instructions:

Cut the shortening and butter into small pieces and refrigerate.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. 

Mix the cold water and vinegar in a cup.

Cut the shortening and butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water and vinegar mixture to the crumbs. Mix lightly using a fork, just until the dough is combined and handles well. 

Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle flour on the counter before rolling out the dough. Roll one piece into a circle, an inch or so larger than the pie plate. Lay the crust in the pie pan and press it lightly onto the bottom and sides of the pan. If you are making just a bottom crust, turn the edge under and pinch, at intervals, creating a fluted edge. Refrigerate or freeze the crust until you are ready to bake. Chill the scraps for later use. 

If you are making a double-crusted pie, add filling to the pastry-lined pie plate, roll out the other half of the dough, and lay it over the filling. Fold the top dough under the bottom dough and pinch at intervals creating a sealed edge.  

This recipe makes enough for one double-crusted pie plus a single crust. Press the scraps from the double-crusted pie into a ball and roll out a single crust. Alternately, roll pastry and cut shapes to decorate the pie or to bake and freeze to float on soup at a later date.  

Easy, Delicious Buttermilk Pastry

I have several buttermilk pastry recipes, but I find myself returning to this one quite often. This recipe makes one double-crust pie. I use the scraps to cut shapes that I can bake and freeze to float on soup or garnish a bowl of pudding. Cutouts are also perfect for embellishing the top of a pie.

Easy, Delicious Buttermilk Pastry

Dry Ingredients: 

2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients together and set aside. 

Moist Ingredients:

⅓ cup of vegetable shortening, chilled and cubed

¼ cup of butter, chilled and cubed

¾ of a cup of buttermilk

Cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two forks. Work until the crumbs are pea-sized. 

Pour the buttermilk over the flour mixture and toss lightly with a fork until the dough starts to hold together. If the dough seems crumbly, add a drop more buttermilk. Sometimes, in dry climates, more moisture is necessary.

Gather the dough together, then divide it in half. Flatten each half into a disk and plastic wrap individually. Refrigerate the pastry for at least 30 minutes. I often chill it overnight. 

Flour the counter and roll out the pastry until it fits your pie plate or can be cut into tart shells. This pastry is easy to handle.  

Rustic Buttermilk Bread

This recipe is much like an Irish soda bread but does not contain lard or shortening. One old recipe from the 1960s calls for honey, and many suggest molasses, but I love this version,  which includes Roger's Golden Syrup. Often these loaves were baked in a Dutch Oven, on top of a stove, in kitchens where there was no oven available. 

Make sure you mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, so as not to activate the leavening process prematurely. 

Although this bread is best served on the day you bake it, I often freeze slices between sheets of wax paper and enjoy it toasted. 

Rustic Buttermilk Bread

Dry Ingredients: 

2 cups whole wheat or whole spelt flour (I use spelt)

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of Rogers Golden Syrup

1 egg beaten

1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Grease or line a cookie sheet. I used my Silpat silicone liner. 

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, combine Rogers Golden Syrup, beaten egg, and buttermilk. 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine thoroughly. Knead a few times (10 to 12) on a board sprinkled with rolled oats.

Shape the dough into a ball and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake the loaf for 50 to 60 minutes or until it makes a hollow sound when tapped on top. This bread slices easily while warm, but an uncut loaf makes a beautiful centrepiece. Feel free to cut it when you are about to serve. 

Oh My - Pecan Pie

Let me share a secret! Pecan Pie is probably the simplest of all recipes to make, yet it is one of the most impressive. You need an uncooked pastry shell, which you can make or buy frozen from the grocery store.

I make this recipe in an old enamel pie pan that my parents received in 1947 for a wedding gift. This pie pan is 8 inches across the bottom and 9 inches across the top. The issue is that it is only 1 inch deep, and, therefore, I must use a drip catcher beneath it. Inevitably, some spattering occurs. It may be wiser to use a pan that is 1.5 inches deep or 10 inches at the inner rim.

This pecan pie is even tastier the next day. Keep it on the counter overnight, under a screen dome. I like to freeze leftovers in serving-size pieces. Cut the pie into eight wedges; it is rich.

                                    Oh My - Pecan Pie

Preheat oven to 350°F

Ingredients:

½ cup of butter or margarine

½ cup of granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 cup of corn syrup or Rogers Golden Syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of pecans, halved or in pieces

1 unbaked 10-inch pie shell 

Preparation:

Cream the butter and granulated sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the syrup and vanilla. Fold the nuts into the sweet mixture. 

Pour the filling into the prepared pastry shell. Place the pie on a drip catcher, in the bottom third of a preheated oven. 

Bake at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Enjoy a piece once the pie has cooled. After a day in the pantry, this pie can be sliced and frozen. This pie is one of the boy’s favourites.

My Favourite Raisin Streusel Pie

Line a pie plate with pastry and refrigerate until you are ready to fill it. I often use a transparent Pyrex pie plate measuring 7 inches at the bottom and 8.5 inches at the rim. Mine measures 1.5 inches deep. I love to be able to check for a nice brown crust.   

Filling:

In a one-quart saucepan, mix the following ingredients.

1 ½ cups of raisins

1 cup of hot water

1 teaspoon of vinegar

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of butter

In a little bowl, mix, before adding to the pot

½ cup of brown sugar with

2 tablespoons of cornstarch 

Mixing prevents the cornstarch from clumping when added to the other ingredients.

On medium heat, bring the above ingredients to a boil, cooking and stirring until the raisin filling thickens.

Pour the raisin filling into an unbaked pie shell and cover with the streusel topping. 

Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven at 425°F for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.

There are many recipes for streusel toppings, but for this pie, I prefer the following mixture. Don’t feel you must use all of your prepared crumbs; keep the remainder in a glass jar in the fridge.  Sprinkle leftover streusel over baked apples or crisp toast. Decades ago, it was customary to make large jars of streusel to have on hand for sprinkling on top of muffins, cakes, or pies before baking.

Streusel Topping:

2/3 of a cup of flour

6 tablespoons of brown sugar

6 tablespoons of butter

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of allspice

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, blend this mixture into crumbs. Sprinkle a layer of crumbs over the top of the raisin filling and bake.  

Maureen's Anything-Goes Muffins

I have baked these muffins, frequently, since 1964. Every batch tastes different because half a cup of almost anything can be added to the batter. I have added raisins, cherries, dates, nuts, coconut, apricots, and homemade mincemeat - not all at once, of course.  

Preheat oven to 400°F

Dry Ingredients:

1½ cups of flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

¼ cup of granulated sugar

½ teaspoon of salt

Wet Ingredients: 

1 egg beaten, until foamy

1 cup of milk

4 tablespoons melted shortening

½ cup of anything, because anything goes. See below for ideas.

Maraschino cherries and walnuts, chopped together, make a tasty muffin. Feel free to use up the last few raisins, dates, dried apricots, or cranberries in your pantry, because anything goes. Half a cup of homemade mincemeat is also delicious (see Prairies North magazine, Winter Issue, 2019.) 

Method:

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, but don’t overmix. 

Fill 12 greased muffin tins to 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes at 400°F.

Reinventing Yesterday's Chili

My “Eats and Treats” column in the summer issue of Prairies North Magazine features a quick, delicious pressure cooker chili. Whether you make our Prairies North Magazine recipe or a familiar family favourite, you will be grateful for all the ways you can serve the leftovers. 

We love to turn leftovers-night into a party by letting each family member decide how to reinvent the chili. Even my son-in-law, who isn’t fond of most leftovers, agrees that chili tastes even better the next day. 

A variation on Huevos Rancheros can be served for a weekend breakfast or a filling lunch. The kids enjoy a choice of tortilla; my granddaughter likes spinach wraps. Each person can fill their tortilla with a selection of ingredients like chili, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream. Roll up the tortilla and top it with a fried egg. Delicious! 

If there is rice available, I usually choose to make a Chili Rice Bowl. I simply layer chili over rice, add grated cheese, and top with chopped, crisp lettuce. Scrumptious!

 Chili Nachos piled with cheese is another option. Layer corn chips on a cookie sheet, add a layer of chili, and a layer of shredded cheese. Bake nachos for about ten minutes at 350°F. Watch the nachos closely because these chips brown up quite quickly. My grandchildren use the microwave to warm their nachos and melt the cheese. 

I have a friend who likes to make a Chili Omelette. I love the sound of that. Chili is also great served in a bread bowl, or in Tea Party Toast Cups. You can also fill treasure chests with chili: they are rectangular boxes cut from unsliced bread, hollowed out, and toasted in the oven.

Whatever way you reinvent your leftovers, you will likely want to pressure cook another batch of chili soon. 

My granddaughter likes her wraps crispy. 

For the Pina Colada Rice Pudding just click HERE.