Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding

Today I am comin' at you with a cookbook review! And not just ANY cookbook. No...this is the cookie dough lover's cookbook!

I was contacted recently by Quirk Books about this book and offered a review copy. When I read the description of this book, especially when I read "cookie dough creme brulee," I knew I had to say yes! And boy am I glad I did!!

This cookbook was created by the beautiful Lindsey over at Love and Olive Oil and will go on sale June 5th, 2012. As a blogger, Linsdey understands how important visuals are to people like me. Every recipe has a mouthwatering picture to go along with it.

The book provides handy little tips inside the cover such as measurements and equivalents.

Nestled among the pages of this spiral bound yet hardcover book are 6 different recipe sections. Candy, Cookies and Brownies, Cakes, Custards, and Pies, Frozen Treats, Indulgent Breakfasts, and Fun Snacks and Party Fare. And all the recipes are eggless, so they are safe! Well...your thighs may not be safe, but that's a different blog post altogether.

I think the most difficult part of any cookbook review is...deciding what to make!

I have a long checklist of things I want to make from this book: Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls, White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Cookie Dough Ice Cream, Crispy Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cups, and Cookie Dough S'mores. Not to mention that Cookie Dough Creme Brulee!

I ended up making the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Crispy Treats (which were dubbed the new crack) and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding.

What I'm sharing with you today is the bread pudding.

This pudding was rich and decadent.

I made this to share with my family and not one person said anything bad about it. In fact, they loved it so much, I only got a bite or two before the entire pan was devoured!

If you love bread pudding, if you love cookie dough, I suggest you make this AND grab The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook on June 5th!

Until then, let's bake up some bread pudding!!

Start by tossing some bread cubes in some melted butter. Spread the buttery bread onto a couple baking sheets and toss under the broiler until toasty and golden brown.

Put the buttery, toasty bread in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Whisk up your custard. Pour it over the bread and let it all co-mingle for about half an hour. Make sure you mix it up every once in a while so the custard gets evenly soaked up by the bread.

While the bread and custard are doing their thang, let's whip up some eggless cookie dough. Cream together some butter and a couple sugars.

Add some vanilla and half & half (you can use cream if you would rather).

Mix in some flour and salt.

Then add in those beautiful minis! Your dough will be pretty crumbly at this point.

Crumble half of the dough onto the bread, then mix it in until the cookie dough is distributed all throughout the pudding. Now top the pudding with the remaining cookie dough.

Bake that baby up for about an hour. The top puffs up and turns a lovely golden brown and the center should be set. Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Now serve it up and enjoy!!

I received a complimentary copy of The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook from Quirk Books for review. I have not been compensated in any other way for this review. The thoughts in this review are mine and mine alone. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding
Adapted from The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook

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Ingredients:

For Bread

• 1 (1 pound) loaf brioche or French bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) unsalted butter, melted

For Custard

• 3 eggs
• 3 cups half & half
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For Cookie Dough

• 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon half & half
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler
2. In a large bowl, toss bread with melted butter to coat.
3. Spread bread in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. 
4. Broil bread (one sheet at a time) until lightly toasted and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Transfer bread to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
6. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
7. Make the custard: In a large mixing bowl (I used the one I tossed the bread in) whisk together the eggs, half & half, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla. 
8. Pour custard over the bread.
9. Let stand 30 minutes, turning occasionally so custard absorbs into bread evenly.
10. While the bread is absorbing the custard, make your cookie dough. Cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Beat in half & half and vanilla.
12. On low speed, beat in flour and sat until combined. (Dough should be crumbly).
13. Stir in chocolate chips.
14. Crumble half the cookie dough over the bread, gently stir until dough is fully incorporated into pudding.
15. Crumble remaining cookie dough over the top of the bread pudding.
16. Bake pudding for 1 hour, or until top puffs up, is golden brown in color, and the center is set.
17. Allow to cool about 10 to 15 minutes.
18. Serve and enjoy!!

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake

Right now, it is 9:30 at night.

I know that doesn't seem too late. But to me, it is.

Maybe it's because the baby has been sick. Maybe it's because I'm sick now. But it feels crazy late.

The kids are in bed, the dishwasher is running with dinner's dishes being cleaned. But there are toys all over the floor. There is clutter all over the tables.

I can only do so much. LOL!

I have a problem with balance. I'm trying to work on this.

I tend to be an all or nothing person. So when I do something, I do that thing all the time.

Lately, I have been consumed with the kids and...reading actually. I've read a number of books recently.

But these kids. They are crazy.

Baby N is crawling all over the place, getting into everything he can. He has started pulling himself up and walking along the furniture. Whenever I try to use my computer while he is awake (it sits on my lap) he comes over and grabs the screen and tries to eat it.

Needless to say, I don't get on the computer much while he's awake. (And what's up with that saying anyway?? If it was "needless" for me to say it, why did I say it?? I digress...)

Little Butt has been in soccer. She has practice during the week and a game every Saturday. A lot of my time has been taken up by that lately, but she's having a blast and the season is almost over so it's all good.

As for me, personally, I've started working out again and it feels amazing. I just love that kind of stuff.

I've been having trouble with the balance act here too. When I work out and eat right, I don't really allow myself much wiggle room. Therefore, I stop baking. Then, I stop blogging. See the trend here?

But when I go the other way and start baking, I stop working out. I need to find that balance.

I know it's out there. And I know I can do it. I did it before. I can do it again.

So here I am. At 9:30 at night (well, now it's 9:45pm) trying to find balance.

I'm not going to pick up the toys on the floor. I'm not going to clean off the tables. Instead, I'm blogging. And it's nice.

What I have for you tonight is a delicious cake that was voted the top cake for the Cake Slice Bakers April pick (did you notice how late I am to post this??)

This cake had a sweet, yet spicy crumb (thanks cardamom!). It was fluffy and light as opposed to heavy and dense. The ribbon of cinnamon streusel was perfection.

The original recipe called for orange zest but I omitted that because I wanted the spice to be the main attraction.

This cake reminded me a lot of a coffee cake. But I'm a sucker for texture and may add some chopped pecans to the cake next time.

I enjoyed this cake so much that I ended up making it twice within a week! Yes, it's that good. I suggest you try it. Maybe make it for Mother's Day?

No matter what the occasion, this cake is not to be missed.

Let's bake!

First up, make the streusel. Whisk together your flour, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar.

Stir in your melted butter until well combined and it gets all crumbly. Go ahead and set that aside for now.

Now we get to start the cake! Whisk together your dry ingredients. Don't forget that cardamom! It's awesome. If you don't have any of that you can substitute ground nutmeg. ;-)

Now we beat the butter into submission and gradually add the sugar.

Then the eggs. Don't be too hasty. You only want to add those one at a time. And make sure you beat well after each addition. And scrape down the sides of the bowl whenever you need to.

Now go ahead and mix in your vanilla.

Now comes the tricky part! Well, not so tricky really. In 3 additions, you are going to add the dry ingredients.

Alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions. Get it? Flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour. See? Not too hard really. Mix that baby until it is juuust combined.

Now go ahead and pour half the batter into your prepared pan. You did prepare your pan right?? If not, please do so now.

Okay. Now, pour half the batter into the pan and smooth it out. Then top it with that delicious cinnamon streusel you made earlier. You did taste it right?? Oh, is that just me??

Now carefully scrape the rest of the batter over the top of the streusel. Smooth it out.

Now bake that baby up until it's nice and done. Then let it cool completely.

Top it with a crap ton of powdered sugar. It just makes it so much better this way.

Slice, serve, and enjoy!!!


Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake
Adpated from The Cake Book

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

For the Cinnamon Streusel Swirl

• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Buttermilk Pound Cake

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Position rack to the center of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Spray the inside of a 10 inch bundt pan with baking spray. 
3. Make the cinnamon streusel swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until blended and crumbly. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, on medium speed, beat the butter until very creamy, about 2 minutes.
6. Gradually add the sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and well blended, about 4 minutes.
7. Reduce speed back down to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
8. Beat in the vanilla extract.
9. At low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions while alternating with the buttermilk in two additions. Beat until just combined.
10. Pour half the batter into the bottom of the bundt pan. Use a rubber spatula to smooth it into an even layer. 
11. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the batter.
12. Carefully scrape the remaining batter over the streusel mixture and smooth into an even layer.
13. Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
14. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
15. Dust cake lightly with powdered sugar immediately before serving.
16. Slice, serve, and enjoy!!