Yummy Recipes

These delicious Spanakopita Triangles are fabulous as an appetiser or on-the-go snack. Super yummy crispy phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta and lots of herbs.

Spanakopitakia Spinach and Feta Triangles / mini spinach pies) are the cute offspring of Greek spinach pie! Just as delicious, portable and with even more crispy phyllo to filling ratio 🙂

I love making these spanakopita triangles as an appetizer – hugely popular with vegetarians and meat eaters alike. But I also love them for lunch with a side serving of Greek Salad! 

Using good quality barrel aged Greek feta makes all the difference in terms of flavor. But you can also use feta and ricotta or cream cheese if you like.

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

The filling can be prepared up to three days in advance – useful if you are making these for a party! 

Keep your phyllo covered with a very slightly damp cloth so that it doesn’t dry out while you assemble the spinach pies.

Always worth having some extra pastry to hand, in case any sheets tear or you have filling left over!

You can use fresh instead of frozen spinach if you prefer. Rinse the spinach and wild in pan before draining and using.

Taste the filling before adding the eggs. Feta cheese can be quite salty but you still need to add salt, to taste.

These delicious Spanakopita Triangles are fabulous as an appetiser or on-the-go snack. Super yummy crispy phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta and lots of herbs.

Prep Time: 20mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Total Time: 1hr

Servings: 50 triangles

Ingredients:

• 500 g (17 ½ oz ) frozen spinach (or fresh, chopped)

• 2 tbsp olive oil or as needed

• 8 spring onions (scallions) finely chopped

• 2 leeks white part only, finely chopped

• 1 tsp salt or more, as needed

• 100 g (about ½ cup) fresh parsley chopped

• 100 g (about ½ cup) fresh dill chopped

• 2 large eggs

• 200 g (7oz) feta cheese crumbled

• 200 g (7oz) cream cheese / ricotta or more feta cheese

• 1 lemon zest only

• 25 sheets of phyllo pastry thawed if frozen (note: you might need extra!)

• 80 ml (⅓ cup) light olive oil or as needed

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds optional

Instructions

Make the filling

1. Thaw the spinach and squeeze most of the moisture out.

2. If using fresh spinach you will need to wilt it in a pan before using and then strain to remove the juices.

3. Sauté the green onions and leeks in a pan with a splash of olive oil.

4. Add the salt and herbs and cook for a couple more minutes, or until softened.

5. Stir in the spinach and leave to cool before adding the feta and eggs.

6. Mix in the crumbled feta / cream cheese and have a taste, adding more salt if needed.

7. Add the eggs and lemon zest, mix well to combine and set aside.

Assemble the pies

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and place a tray on the middle shelf.

2. Open up your pastry and use a sharp knife to cut through the phyllo vertically so you have 40 long strips.

3. Brush one phyllo with olive oil and put a second strip of pastry on top.

4. Doubling up the pastry will create crispy spinach hand pies and keep the filling from bursting out.

5. Place a tablespoon (or just over) of the filling at the end of the strip. Don’t be tempted to over fill!

6. Fold the end of your strip with the filling over to encase the filling and form a triangle.

7. Continue folding the pastry, brushing sparingly with olive oil, until you have a tightly packed triangle.

8. Brush with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).

Bake

1. Put the spanakopita triangles onto a lined baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.
2. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
3. Don’t stack them as the steam with soften the pastry.

Notes

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

Keep your phyllo covered with a very slightly damp cloth so that it doesn’t dry out while you assemble the spinach pies.

You can use fresh instead of frozen spinach if you prefer. Rinse the spinach and wild in pan before draining and using.

Nutritional Info 

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 801mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1655IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 5mg

Tiramisu is a classic Italian no-bake dessert made with layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and incredible mascarpone cream. The custard-like cream is excellent and contains no raw egg. This easy recipe is truly the best homemade tiramisu and always gets rave reviews.

We love classic Italian desserts like Panna Cotta, Affogato, and of course Berry Tiramisu. Classic Tiramisu is probably the most iconic Italian treat and this one does not disappoint!

What is Tiramisu?

The word Tiramisu (tirami su in Italian) means “cheer me up” or “pull me up,” which is very appropriate because one bite will put you in a good mood! An authentic Tiramisu dessert that has 2 main layers: sponge cake ladyfingers soaked in coffee and liqueur and the mascarpone cream layer. This classic dessert often contains raw egg yolks, but we use a different process to create a custard-like cream with amazing texture and flavor.

Can I Substitute the Rum?

We used golden rum but you can use dark rum. You can also substitute the rum with a little Grand Marnier, or amaretto. If you prefer to omit it completely, you can just leave out the rum or add a little bit of vanilla extract to taste.

What are LadyFingers?

Lady Fingers are essentially sponge cake batter piped into strips then baked and dried into biscuits. They are known “savoiardi” in Italian and are perfect for tiramisu because they absorb the syrup well without getting soggy. Ladyfingers are great in other no-bake desserts such as the incredible Charlotte Cake, these individual Mousse Cups, and even a trifle.

Tips for the Best Tiramisu:

• Quick Dip – Dip ladyfingers one or two at a time. A quick dip on each side is enough. There will be some syrup left behind.

• Do not over-soak the ladyfingers or the layers may collapse.

• Water Bath – When whisking yolks and sugar over steam, make sure the bowl is not touching the water beneath it.

• Allow the yolk mixture to cool until it’s just slightly warm – whisking off the heat will help cool it down faster.

• Use cold HEAVY whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form – whip slowly over time for the cream to remain more stable (don’t under beat or overbeat)

• Do not over-mix – When folding cream into Mascarpone, do not overmix the cream or it may turn grainy.

• Chill the cake at least 6 hours in the refrigerator or overnight and it will be very easy to slice.

• Tiramisu keeps well so you can make it a day or two ahead.

• Leftovers are good refrigerated up to 5 days because there are no raw eggs in the cake.

Can I Substitute the Coffee?

Traditionally, coffee or espresso is used in Tiramisu. If you are concerned about caffeine, you can use decaf coffee so you can still enjoy the same classic flavor. If you prefer a different flavor profile, you can turn this into a Berry Tiramisu and omit the cocoa powder.

 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Resting/Chilling Time: 6hours 

Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes

Servings: 12 slices of cake

Ingredients:

 

• 1 1/2 cups espresso , (or strong coffee), room temperature

• 6 Tbsp golden rum, divided

• 40 ladyfingers

• 6 egg yolks, (large)

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 16 oz mascarpone, cold

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold*

• 2-3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, to dust the top

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups espresso and 3 Tbsp rum.

2. Quickly dip half of the ladyfingers, one at a time and arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.

3. Dip once on each side so they are moist but do not soak ladyfingers or the cake will collapse.

4. In a separate rimmed* medium glass bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar.

5. Place over steam (on a saucepan with simmering water) and whisk 10 minutes on low heat until the mixture is lighter in color, slightly thickened and not grainy when you rub between your fingers.

6. Remove from heat and whisk for a few minutes off the heat to help it cool down then set aside to cool while doing step 3.

7. Beat together 16 oz mascarpone and 3 Tbsp rum.

8. Use an electric hand mixer to beat in the warm yolk mixture until well incorporated.

9. In a separate bowl, beat cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form*.

10. Use a spatula to gently fold half of the whipped cream into mascarpone cream then blend in remaining whipped cream, just until incorporated.

11. Do not overfold or it will become grainy.

12. Spread half of the cream over the first layer of ladyfingers.

13. Dip and arrange remaining ladyfingers. Spread remaining cream. Refrigerate overnight.

14. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. It is ok to dust with cocoa ahead of time – it will just darken it in color from the moisture.

Recipe Notes:

*Be sure to use very cold HEAVY whipping cream and not light cream.

**A mixing bowl with a little rim around the edge helps to keep the steam and condensation out of the bowl.

***Beating heavy cream slowly will help the cream remain more stable without turning watery. Start on low speed then increase to medium speed over the next 5 minutes or until thick and stiff peaks form.

Notes:

Alcohol: Tiramisu can be made with or without alcohol. This recipe calls for coffee flavored liqueur because I like that it enhances the coffee flavor, but other options are marsala wine or brandy.

Make Ahead Instructions: Tiramisu is even better when made in advance, allowing the flavors to blend! It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Freezing Instructions: Make completely, but don’t dust with cocoa powder. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then tinfoil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and dust with cocoa powder a few hours before serving.

Nutritional Info:

Calories297kcalCarbohydrates26gProtein5gFat18gSaturatedFat11gPolyunsaturatedFat1gMonounsaturatedFat2gCholesterol88mgSodium:77mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 618IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 1mg

Ground beef pasta is a favorite family meal and is easy to make in just a few steps. You can’t go wrong with meat, sauce, pasta, and cheese!

This Ground Beef Casserole has everything you want in a baked pasta dish – savory browned beef, pasta, marinara sauce, and a cheesy layer of mozzarella for an easy weeknight dinner. Toss everything together and bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, or freeze for a quick meal that’s ready to heat up on busy nights.

Casseroles are a lifesaver, especially for busy families, and with this hamburger casserole, you can bring it all together quickly and let it finish in the oven. Trying to get dinner to the table even quicker? Skip the oven and serve this ground beef pasta recipe straight from the stovetop by adding the cooked pasta to the sauce, sprinkling with mozzarella, and then adding a lid to allow the heat to melt the cheese.

Casseroles are a lifesaver, especially for busy families, and with this hamburger casserole, you can bring it all together quickly and let it finish in the oven. Trying to get dinner to the table even quicker? Skip the oven and serve this ground beef pasta recipe straight from the stovetop by adding the cooked pasta to the sauce, sprinkling with mozzarella, and then adding a lid to allow the heat to melt the cheese.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE WITH PASTA

Perfect comfort food. This pasta bake hits the spot for a comforting dish with layers of tomato sauce, penne pasta, ground beef, and melty cheese in every bite. Warm up those cold nights with a home-cooked meal that warms your soul – you can’t go wrong with beef casseroles!

Very kid-friendly. Give the kids what they want, and you’re sure they’ll eat! It’s like spaghetti but with different pasta and everything tossed together into an oven-baked casserole.

Freezer-friendly. I love family-sized freezer-friendly dinners! You can freeze the sauce to add to freshly cooked pasta before baking or assemble the ground beef casserole with noodles in a baking pan, cover it with foil, and freeze it as a whole meal ready to bake.

Well-balanced meal. A complete meal to fill you up and keep you full of good carbs, protein, and veggies. Swap out the pasta for whole wheat or gluten-free pasta for a healthier alternative. Toss in some diced eggplant, zucchini, or spinach to add another layer of veggies with the tomatoes and onions.

POPULAR SUBSTITUTIONS & ADDITIONS

Add vegetables. You can easily up the nutritional value of ground beef pasta casserole by adding chopped vegetables when cooking the onions and beef mixture: Sauté zucchini, eggplant, spinach, kale, or even diced carrots to the sauce base. The smaller the dice, the less likely picky eaters will notice the addition.

Use ground turkey. If you’re looking for a lighter pasta casserole, then ground turkey makes an excellent substitution for ground beef. Check out my ground turkey casserole for the full recipe!

Make it Vegetarian! Want to enjoy a hearty casserole but avoid meat? It’s super easy to do by swapping out the ground beef for either lentils or chickpeas. With either of these options, you still get a full meal with all the benefits of meat, like protein. You could also load the sauce with vegetables instead of beef for a wholesome meal.

Add some heat. Want to kick your pasta sauce up a notch with some fiery spices? Add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the sauce when adding the seasonings.

HOW TO STORE & REHEAT GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

Store leftover beef casserole with pasta in an airtight container in the fridge.

Reheat in the microwave or preheated oven until heated through.

HOW LONG WILL BEEF PASTA CASSEROLE LAST IN THE FRIDGE?

When stored properly, leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

CAN I FREEZE BEEF CASSEROLES?

Yes! To freeze, prepare the casserole in a baking dish and cover with a layer of foil followed by plastic wrap to securely cover the dish. You can freeze ground beef casserole with pasta up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen by simply adding an additional 20 minutes or so to the cook time.

Ground beef pasta is a favorite family meal and is easy to make in just a few steps. You can’t go wrong with meat, sauce, pasta, and cheese!

 Prep Time: 15mins

 Cook Time: 25mins

 Total Time: 40mins

 Servings: 8 servings

 Calories: 411kcal

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces penne pasta

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• 1 large onion diced

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce store-bought or homemade

• ¼ cup Fresh basil torn, plus more for garnishing

• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions.

2. Drain, reserve ½ cup pasta water, and transfer the pasta to a 9×13 baking dish.

3. In a large deep skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef and onions and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

4. Cook the ground beef and onions, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces with the back of a wooden spoon until browned, about 10 minutes.

5. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 more minute.

6. Stir in the marinara and basil, then transfer the sauce on top of the pasta in the baking dish and toss gently to combine.

7. Add as much of the reserved pasta water as desired until the sauce looks glossy.

8. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

9. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.

Notes:

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, and you can reheat it in the oven or microwave. Freeze up to 3 months and bake from frozen by adding an additional 20 minutes to the cook time.

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 738mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 3mg

Craving something sweet and delicious? Look no further than this amazing air fryer apple fritters recipe! Deliciously golden and crisp on the outside, with a soft and sweet center filled with tender apples, these apple fritters are sure to become a family favorite.

Apple Fritters are luscious deep fried donuts filled with apples, and cinnamon and drizzled with an easy three-ingredient glaze. You can have these scrumptious warn apple fritters in your hands in less than thirty minutes. Make sure you stash a couple for yourself, or you might blink your eyes, and they will be gone. These are one of my darling daughter’s favorite goodies. She can not get enough of them!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS!

• Homemade warm sweet apple fritters that are better than your local bakery.

• Only wholesome natural ingredients with no artificial colors or preservatives.

• Easy and quick to mix and fry.

• The fritters can be fried up in a fryer, Dutch oven, or heavy stock pot.

HOW TO MAKE APPLE FRITTERS?

First peel, core and dice a couple of Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples. I like to dice them somewhere between 1/4-1/2 inch. That way you get a good taste of that sweet apple. Now grab a large bowl and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk it around and get it all mixed together. Make a well in the middle and add the milk, egg and applesauce. Now stir the mixture just until it is combined.

Fill a dutch oven or large heavy stock pot with about 1 1/2 inches of canola oil. Use a candy thermometer and bring the oil to 375 degrees. Carefully drop about 1/4 cup of batter per fritter into the hot oil. I like to spread the batter a little while I am pouring it so that the fritter does not end up too fat and so it cooks all the way through. Cook each side until golden brown. It takes about 2 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Once they have cooled whisk together the milk, powdered sugar and vanilla. Finally dunk the fritters in the glaze turning over to make sure each side is coated. Place on wire racks to air dry and drip.

CAN YOU BAKE THESE FRITTERS?

This is a question that I am asked quite frequently. Yes I am sure there are lots of great recipes out there for baked apple fritters however this particular recipe really needs to be fried. Do your best to keep the oil at 375 degrees so the fritter absorbs less of the oil.

RECIPE NOTES AND HELPFUL TIPS

• Don’t over-mix the batter as it may make the fritters tough.

• Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying so the donuts cook better and the oil temperature is easier to maintain.

• Use a candy thermometer to track the temperature of the oil.

• A dutch oven or heavy pot helps the oil hold its temperature.

• Try to maintain a constant temperature of 375 degrees. When you add the batter the temperature will drop so you must increase the heat a tad. Likewise when you remove the fritters from the oil the temperature will increase so you need to turn the heat down a tad.

• Remove the fried fritters to paper towels to drain.

• Store the cooled cooked fritters wrapped loosely in paper towels in a brown paper bag.

These Apple Fritter Donuts are as scrumptious as the ones at your neighborhood bakery at a fraction of the cost. Make a batch for your family today and get ready to enjoy all the complements.

 Prep Time: 10min

Cook Time: 10min

Total Time: 20mins

Yield: 10 fritters 

INGREDIENTS:

APPLE FRITTERS

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/3 cup milk

• 2 eggs

• 3 tablespoons applesauce

• 2 large Granny Smith apples or Honey Crisp apples peeled, cored and diced

• canola oil or vegetable oil for frying

GLAZE

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl.

2. Make a well in the center and add 1/3 cup milk, eggs and applesauce. Stir just to combine. Fold in apples.

3. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in heavy skillet, dutch oven or deep fryer to 375 degrees.

4. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter per fritter into hot oil; spreading it out as you drop.

5. Cook each side until golden brown; approximately 2 minutes per side.

6. Use a slotted spoon to remove to paper towels to drain.

7. Whisk together 1/4 cup milk, powdered sugar and vanilla.

8. Dunk each fritters in the glaze turning over to make sure both sides coated.

9. Place on wire racks to air dry and drip.

NOTES:

• Don’t over-mix the batter as it may make the fritters tough.

• Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying so the donuts cook better and the oil temperature is easier to maintain.

• Use a candy thermometer to track the temperature of the oil.

• A dutch oven or heavy pot helps the oil hold its temperature.

• Try to maintain a constant temperature of 375 degrees. When you add the batter the temperature will drop so you must increase the heat a tad. Likewise when you remove the fritters from the oil the temperature will increase so you need to turn the heat down a tad.

• Remove the fried fritters to paper towels to drain.

• Store the cooled cooked fritters wrapped loosely in paper towels in a brown paper bag.

Nutritional Info:

Serving Size: 1 fritter

Serves: 10

Calories 286%Total Fat 10.3g 13%Cholesterol 39.3mg 13%Sodium 143.5mg 6%Total Carbohydrate 46g 17%Sugars 28.8g Protein 4g 8%

Cranberry Bread made with fresh, juicy cranberries and orange is the perfect treat to bake during the Holiday season. This festive and pretty quick bread recipe is super moist and bursting with flavor. You can whip it up quickly and it keeps fresh for days!

Combining cranberries with orange juice and freshly grated zest elevates its flavor and results in a perfectly balanced sweet and tart flavor. This moist cranberry orange bread makes a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack and is the perfect way to use up leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving! 

Expert Tips

• Always measure your flour correctly! Don’t scoop the flour! Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can make the bread dense and dry.

• This recipe works best with fresh or frozen cranberries

• Instead of fresh or frozen cranberries, you can also use 1 cup of dried cranberries

• Don’t overmix the batter! Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 15 light strokes with a spatula. It’s ok if there are some small lumps. Overmixing can cause the bread to be tough and bake unevenly.

• Always test with a skewer for doneness! Every oven is different, to get the best results, start checking the bread for doneness five minutes before the time is up. A wooden skewer works best!

• If you want you can add a glaze on top after the bread has cooled completely. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice together and drizzle over the cooled bread

Storage:

This moist bread stays fresh and moist for days if you store it the right way. I wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store it in the fridge but it might taste drier because of the lower temperature.

Freezing:

Yes, you can freeze this Cranberry Bread. Let it cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. To defrost take it out of the freezer and let it defrost at room temperature overnight. You can also freeze individual slices to make them defrost quicker – perfect for a quick breakfast!

How to make Cranberry Nut Bread

This recipe can be easily transformed into Cranberry Nut Bread! Just add 1/2 cup (or more) roughly chopped walnuts to the batter together with the cranberries to make a Cranberry Walnut Bread.

Can I use dried cranberries?

Yes, you can use 1 cup of dried cranberries instead of fresh or frozen cranberries. The baking time will be a little bit shorter because dried fruits are less moist.

When using dried cranberries, we recommend soaking them in orange or cranberry juice first. Heat up the juice, add cranberries, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Strain before adding them to the batter.

Do I have to thaw frozen cranberries?

When using frozen cranberries thaw them until they can be chopped safely. They do not have to be completely thawed.

Cranberry Orange Bread is easy and quick to make from scratch and keeps fresh for days! This moist cranberry bread is perfect for the holidays.

Prep Time: 15mins

Cook Time: 1hr

Total Time: 1hr 15 mins

 Servings: 10 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 Tbsp orange zest freshly grated

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup butter room temperature

• 1 large egg room temperature

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, cream together sugars, butter, and egg until smooth. Add orange juice and slowly mix until combined.

4. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined and all the dry ingredients are just moistened. Fold in cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.

5. Bake for about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Notes:

• Always measure your flour correctly! Don’t scoop the flour! Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can make the bread dense and dry.

• This recipe works best with fresh or frozen cranberries

• Instead of fresh or frozen cranberries, you can also use 1 cup of dried cranberries

• Don’t overmix the batter! Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 15 light strokes with a spatula. It’s ok if there are some small lumps. Overmixing can cause the bread to be tough and bake unevenly.

• Always test with a skewer for doneness! Every oven is different, to get the best results, start checking the bread for doneness five minutes before the time is up. A wooden skewer works best!

• If you want you can add a glaze on top after the bread has cooled completely. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice together and drizzle over the cooled bread

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 289mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 15.2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Bread and Butter Pudding is surely the ultimate use of leftover bread!! While wonderful made with pre-sliced bread, it’s company-worthy made with chunks of bread, whether it’s a leftover loaf, dinner rolls or even hot dog buns.A classic comfort dessert, custardy on the inside, golden and buttery on top.

Best Bread to Make this Recipe 

As for what type of bread, it’s best to use a soft plain or sweet bread:

Plain white bread – sliced, unsliced, loaf, block, rolls, hot dog or hamburger buns

Raisin bread or other similar flavoured bread that will suit a sweet dessert

Buttery breads – like brioche and challah

Stale plain cake – I personally am not the type to leave leftover cake lying around until it becomes stale, but if you happen to, then by all means use it. Just be a bit more gentle when tossing in egg mixture

Breads that are not recommend.  “UNUSUAL” RESULTS…..

Bread that is TOO stale – slightly stale bread is ideal (see recipe notes), but bread that’s so gone dry it crumbles into breadcrumbs when you crush it, or if it’s rock hard and you can’t tear it by hand, or so solid you can grate it into bread crumbs, it is no good. This is because once soaked in the egg mixture, it will disintegrate into breadcrumbs;

Very crusty and chewy artisan bread (like sourdough) – while it will work just fine, it will not be as soft and custardy. Mind you, the sourdough sold at grocery stores and everyday bakeries are not that crusty so will work fine, I am mostly referring to the more expensive (proper) sourdough;

Seeded and savoury flavoured breads – I’m not here to tell you how you should or should not flavour your bread and butter pudding, but I will say that using Cheese and Bacon Rolls might yield a somewhat odd result…😂

Heavy breads – Pumpernickel, dense ryes and the like …. obviously.

Toppings for Bread and Butter Pudding

• I intentionally make my Bread and Butter Pudding less sweet than most – I only use 1/2 cup of sugar compared to around 1 1/2 – 2 cups for the same quantity of bread in some versions – because my base assumption is that there WILL be toppings.

• There’s plenty of options, and here are just a few ideas:

• Ice cream – the contrast between creamy and cold against hot/crusty/custardy is just a match made in heaven;

• Custard – rich and silky, I prefer using the pouring kind but the dolloping kind would be terrific too!

• Cream or mascarpone

• Strawberries and cream (YES!)

• Maple syrup, golden syrup, honey

• Chocolate sauce, strawberry, salted caramel or other sweet sauces

A quintessential British dessert and a firm favourite world-wide, this is custardy on the inside, and golden and buttery on the surface! While pre-sliced bread works a treat, it’s dinner party-worthy when made with bread that can be cut or torn into cubes. Crunchier surface, and better custardy texture inside!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Servings: 6 – 8 

Ingredients:

• 8 heaped cups white bread, preferably slightly stale, cut into 2.5 cm / 1″ cubes (see Note 1 if for pre-sliced bread)

• 1 cup sultanas or raisins (or more!)

Egg Mixture:

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups milk (low or full fat, not zero fat)

• 1 cup heavy / thickened cream (or any other cream, Note 2 for more milk option)

• 3 tbsp / 40g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Finishes / Serving

• 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted – for top pre baking

• 20g / 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted – for brushing post baking (optional)

Icing sugar / powdered sugar, for dusting

• Ice cream, cream, custard, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, etc

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types)

2. Egg Mixture: Place eggs in a large bowl, whisk briefly. Add remaining Egg Mixture ingredients and whisk.

3. Soak Bread: Add bread and sultanas, briefly mix, then set aside for 3 minutes to allow egg mixture to soak through the bread.

4. Transfer to baking dish: Pour into a baking dish (10 cup / 2.5 litre / 2.5 quart). If you have lots of sultanas on the surface, poke them below the surface (Note 3).

5. Drizzle then bake: Drizzle over melted butter, then bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden on top and the inside is set but still slightly wobbly (poke to check).

6. Brush with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp melted butter (optional), then dust with icing sugar.

7. Serve – rest for a few minutes, then serve immediately, with toppings of choice! My favourites are ice cream, custard and cream.

Notes:

1. Bread – Though the classic version is made with plain white bread, you can make this with any bread of choice – like raisin bread, hot cross buns, brioche, anything!

Artisan bread with very thick chewy crusts – eg. some types of sourdough: these can be used if they are fresh or a bit stale. Do not use if they are super stale and dried out – they will be rock hard (ie you can’t even tear them, you have saw through them with a serrated knife) so not suitable for this recipe.

Rye, seeded breads – they will work fine, I just don’t recommend using anything with too strong a flavour that might be at odds with the sweet vanilla flavour of this dish!

Gluten free – absolutely works, it just comes down to how good the GF bread is

Measuring bread – Basically stack bread in a cup so it’s heaped – imagine if you pressed down lightly, it would level the cup. Can’t provide a weight as breads differ in density. Don’t get hung up on exact measurement – you’ll easily be able to tell when you mix the bread and egg, should be soaked through, still some egg mixture pooling (slightly). The worst is using way too much bread that doesn’t get soaked through = dry pudding!

Pre-sliced bread: Also terrific made with PRE SLICED sandwich bread slices! Use 12 slices (thick cut) or 14 slices (normal thickness), cut in half into triangles then layer in the baking dish slightly overlapping (so surface isn’t flat), scatter each layer with sultanas, and pour egg mixture over the whole thing.

Slightly stale bread works a bit better because it doesn’t soak through instantly and turn into mush. If using super fresh bread, just be a bit more gentle when tossing into Egg Mixture (I use fresh regularly).

2. Cream – The basic Bread & Butter Pudding recipe is made with only milk. I like using cream to give this a bit of richness.

Just milk option: Add an extra egg (so 4 eggs in total) then use milk instead of cream (so 2 1/2 cups milk in total). You need the extra egg to ensure this sets because milk is not as thick as cream.

3. Sultanas have a tendency to brown a bit too much in this bake time. So while some on the surface is fine, you don’t want too many. So if lots end up on the surface, poke them in a bit!

4. WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY (and why): Most classic recipes butter the bread slices before cutting / tearing and soaking. I prefer to add melted butter into the mixture for more even distribution and it’s just easier, and I like to brush the top with butter before and after baking, just for that extra buttery goodness! (Plus it makes it really nice and golden on top).

Also, while delicious made with sliced bread, I think it’s even better made with cut/torn loaf or rolls because you get a WAY better crunchy surface and the texture of the inside is better – more custardy (due to larger bread pieces), fluffier and can be cut with straight sides and stacked on plates so it sits tall and impressively (pictured in post).

5. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. If made using chunks of bread as per recipe, it will even keep the crunchy topping even if reheated in the microwave!

I haven’t tried freezing but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work given I freeze Cheese and Bacon Breakfast Strata (which is a savoury bread pudding).

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 426cal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 885IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 2mg