Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with Vanilla Cream Sauce

Next time you walk by the bakery isle of your local grocery store, you might see the "discount" rack, you might just ignore it but don't; I'm here to tell you THIS IS A MISTAKE; If you can get your hands on some 1 or 2 day old cinnamon rolls, you've got the makings of an awesome dessert.  Bread pudding is one of those things that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Specially if you got some killer sauce to drown it in.  Here is a good way to get rid of some "aged" treats... By the way this works with Cinnamon Rolls, Doughnuts, Muffins, and others of sweet nature.


First off the ingredients to the pudding.  Sauce is towards the bottom.

4 aged Cinnamon Rolls
4 eggs
1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar
2 cups of Milk,(if you're looking for extra richness you can use half milk half whipping cream)
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract.
Cupcake molds.

Dice up the Cinnamon Rolls into 3/4" to 1  inch pieces. (you can do this ahead of time, leaving the bread to sit out for a few hours uncovered will help it harden up a bit and allow it to suck up the moisture.

Whip the eggs until well mixed. (Left)


Add the Sugar and mix until well incorporated (right)

Add the Milk/Cream and mix until smooth and it has a consistent color.

Add the bread and let the bread sit in the fridge to soak for a good 45 minutes to an hour, the time will depend on how big your pieces are.

Once bread has absorbed the mixture and its not hard when you squeeze it then its ready to be put into the mold and bake.

Using a cupcake pan will cut the baking time down

Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F.

AND NOW FOR THE SAUCE.

 Ingredients can be  any quantity as long as its the same proportion, in this case.
1/2 cup each of Butter, Brown Sugar, Granulated sugar and Whipping Cream.
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract.

Melt the butter in medium low heat so the butter doesn't cut/separate.

Add both the granulated and Brown sugar, Turn the heat up to medium high and cook whisking constantly until caramel like
(picture on right)

Remove from heat.
Add whipping cream and whisk until smooth, add the Vanilla extract and mix again

Drizzle or drench your bread pudding to taste.

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Ice-cream (Chocolate de tablilla)

This idea had been rolling around my head for quite a while and I was able to finally put it together successfully.  Its wicked delicious and it totally reminds me of the hot chocolate we used to drink growing up.  To get that smooth texture you gotta think one word CUSTARD, and just a heads up NO IT WILL NOT BE HEALTHY, so eat at your own risk

Sweet Pulled Pork

Final Product

Pulled pork is such a versatile item to have, and  as we have learned thanks to the new wave of South-Western Grills that have taken over the nation not only does it taste great on burritos, tacos, and salads; but you could pretty much slap it on almost anything from potstickers to tamales.

This is MY rendition of this dish served at Costa Vida, I feel its pretty close but still has some flavors that I happen to favor.  The recipe takes 5 minutes to prep and slow-cooks over night. SIMPLE.

Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee.... I mean, what else do I have to say, its a synonym of deliciousness, and heavenly creaminess (unless of course you're lactose intolerant... Then it has a WHOLE other meaning... one that involves frequent visits to a special room in the house).

HOWEVER, there is no need to be afraid of turning egg, cream, and sugar into a delectable treat.  Its quite possibly one of the simplest deserts to make, however there are a few things to be aware about when you decide to get into it; those are as follow.

First the ingredients.
1 Quart of Heavy Whipping Cream... and yes, just liquid whipping cream will do, however cool whip wont.
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
1 tsp of Vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean if you're feeling fancy)
Extra Granulated Sugar or Turbinado Sugar.

Step 1, place your cream in a pot on medium heat.
FEELING FANCY? If not skip this paragraph. Split your vanilla bean down the middle, open it up, slide the NON SHARP side of your knife long-wise the inside part of the bean as to take out the little beans inside of the pod; drop them inside the milk with the pod while it warms up.

Don't let it come to a full boil, it will bubble up and make a wonderful mess in your stove top.
Once it begins to bubble around the edges that would be a good time to pull it from the heat and cover.

Step 2. Get your egg yolks and sugar and do like Michael Jackson and "Beat it!!!! Beat it!!!!" to make a yellowy substance.
I promise there is 4 eggs and 3/4 cups of sugar in that mix.... The 4th one is hiding under the sugar.

Once well mixed, comes the sensitive part, tempering; add the hot cream in thirds, add the first third and as the cream begins to hit the yolks start whisking quickly or you'll have scrambled eggs.  Add the second third and mix again, you can go a bit slower.  Add the last third and you can take it easy now.  Over beating is possible, but it will only make it so you have a lot of bubbles that will have to be taken out later on.

Step 3.  Strain the mixture, this will get rid of some of the bubbles and  the egg/sugar mix that did not incorporate with the cream, not to mention if there was some egg that somehow got cooked this will get rid of it so you don't have to fish it out. it will also get rid of the bean pod.

Step 4.  Scoop out the bubbly stuff floating on top.  You don't have to do this, but if you leave it like this the top part of your desert would be "Sponge brulee" instead of Creme.

Step 5. Ladle or pour the mixture into ramekins.  Place ramekins inside of a deep rectangular cake pan. once they're all in this is your last chance to get some of the bubbly out so take it.
Now fill up the pan with hot water so the ramekins are about half-ways submerged in water.  Place in the middle rack of the oven at 325 degrees and cook for 40 minutes. 

When its done, if you gently; EMPHASIS on gently touch the surface it will stick like jello, but it wont look particularly done; just ignore that and let it cool off before putting it on the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Take out of the fridge and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on each ramekin, and torch the sugar to create a nice glassy top. DO NOT HOLD THE RAMEKIN IN YOUR HAND WHILE TORCHING.  Hold the torch about 3 inches above the sugar and keep moving so the sugar wont burn.  You could use Turbinado sugar which doesn't burn as easy also.  Serve cold and enjoy.

Honey Chipotle Chicken Potstickers.

From what I hear certain Lettuce Wraps from an Asian food bistro are awesome, but I have a problem paying over $7 for half of a head of iceberg lettuce with some protein nuts and sauce, I said to myself "Hey good lookin' lets find a way to get rid of all that chicken from last week's Grilling cornucopia"  I should say that I happened to be in front of the mirror, so don't go thinking I call every man out there good looking... Well, except for Ryan Reynolds... That man is one good looking fellow.  I've come up with this recipe that helps to get rid of some stuff that's possibly hiding in your fridge or freezer.  I found  about a pound of grilled chicken chopped into pieces, and I had these wraps that were screaming at me to get used.

Green Chili Chorizo and Red Potato Cream

As I went to a local trendy place of business that sells soups and other liquefied concoctions... OK fine, it was Zuppas.  I noticed they were offering a limited time Green Chili and potato soup so I thought "DUDE there is something I can make with my newly acquired 2 pounds of roasted green chilies that I haven't been able to eat yet since I don't want to get an ulcer"  So I set of to make my own recipe of this.

Strawberry-Mint Syrup

Finished Product

There are few things quite as refreshing as a tall glass of lemonade on a hot day... or whenever you're thirsty.  However one of those "few things" is Strawberry-Mint Lemonade.