S'mores Bread Pudding

Fall has me thinking about warm desserts to welcome the colder weather. Usually, when I think desserts, I'm thinking something cold or room temp, whether it's pies, tarts, cake, ice cream, or custard. Nonetheless, there is little better than a warm bread pudding to lift your spirits.

Smoky marshmallow, melted chocolate, and soft bread and graham crackers make this a fun treat. I love it best served with ice cream when it's fresh out of the oven.

S'mores Bread Pudding
Bread (Enough to fill a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish most of the way)
1 cup Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
9 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Graham Crackers, crushed
1/2 cup Mini Marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice bread to 1 inch by 1 inch cubes.
2. In a medium pot, boil heavy cream and milk. In the meantime, whisk eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Once the cream comes to a boil, pour the mixture slowly into the eggs, whisking the entire time.
4. Allow the mix to cool slightly. Then, add the bread into the bowl and toss very gently, so that the bread can keep its shape.
5. Then, add graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Reserve about a handful of each to garnish the bread pudding as a topping.
6. Pour the bread pudding mixture into a cast iron pan, casserole dish, or any other oven-safe vessel. Then, garnish with the remaining chocolate chips, crushed graham cracker, and marshmallows.
7. Place the bread pudding in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until set. The bread pudding will puff up some. If the marshmallows begin to get golden, cover the vessel with foil until it's cooked through.
8. Once the bread pudding is set, and there is no watery liquid, remove from the oven. Serve as quickly as possible.

I think early fall/late summer means fire pits. Whether it's camping or other get togethers around a fire pit, where there is fire, there are s'mores. Also, since the Christmas season is coming up, there will be even more marshmallows to roast! This is a great way to utilize the leftover s'more ingredients, and would be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas spread!

Artisan Bread

This chilling winter weather calls for some warm bread!!! Every so often, I like to make some bread to eat throughout the week, instead of eating the store bought sandwich bread. There's something about the depth and flavor behind the handmade loaf that makes it so much more appealing, despite the little bit of extra work.

This recipe is one of the simplest I've made! It has to sit for anywhere from 8-24 hours, but it's worth the wait! The best part is that you can forget about the bread that's proofing until you've got some time to bake it.

Artisan Bread (Makes 1 loaf)
3 cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cups Warm Water

1. Combine water and yeast to activate the yeast. Allow the yeast to become slightly bubbly.
2. Whisk together salt and flour in a medium sized bowl.
3. Create a well in the center of the flour, and add the water. Use a durable rubber spatula or a bowl scraper to combine the ingredient.
4. Mix gently until the flour is just incorporated. You do not need to knead the dough; be careful not to overmix.
5. Cover the bowl well with plastic, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 8-24 hours. This allows the yeast to proof. You will see bubbles on the surface of the dough when it is ready.
6. When the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Place a loaf pan into the oven to heat with it.
7. When the oven has preheated, turn the dough over onto a very well floured surface.
8. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, and tuck the sides of the dough in slightly.
9. Use your hands or a bowl scraper to fold the top of the dough to the middle, and then repeat the process to fold the dough in half.
10. Use your thumbs to seal the bottom of the loaf, then, carefully place the loaf into the hot pan.
11. Use a tented piece of tin foil to cover the bread. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until the bread had risen in the pan and the top is very lightly browned.
12. Remove the bread from the loaf pan, and then place it back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes, until it has a great crusty brown exterior.
13. Allow the bread to cool prior to slicing.

You can slice this bread into thin slices using a serrated knife. Once it is cool, you can place it into a plastic bag to store in the fridge or freezer if you don't plan to eat it immediately. I love this bread with some avocado with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper, or with a nice spread of butter and a sprinkle of flake sea salt!

What's your favorite way to eat toast?

Garlic and Pecorino Dinner Rolls

I love carbs in any form- rice, noodles, bread, potatoes- really anything. Bread is one of my favorite snacks. I use it to hold me over when I'm needing a snack, and even sometimes as a meal, albeit pretty unhealthy.

This recipe is one of my favorites. It's a soft bread with a nice crust. It's perfect for any occasion, and it holds well. The flavor is very mild and neutral, and it can really be used for pretty much anything. Plus, it's easy to make, and you don't need a bread machine!

Garlic and Pecorino Dinner Rolls (Makes 3-4 dozen rolls)
1 cup Water
1 tbsp Yeast
1 2/3 cup Buttermilk
1/3 cup Honey
2.5 pounds Flour
1 tbsp Salt
1 stick Butter

1 tbsp Minced Garlic
4 tbsp Butter
Chopped Parsley
Shaved Pecorino Cheese

1. Combine yeast with warm water to allow it to dissolve.
2. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl
3. In a separate bowl, place buttermilk and honey and mix together.
4. Add the yeast to the liquid ingredients.
5. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and begin to knead.
6. Add softened butter in and knead the dough for 10 minutes.
7. If you have a standing mixer, instead of kneading by hand for 10 minutes, use the lowest setting with a dough hook to knead for about 7 minutes.
8. The dough should be a very smooth mass.
9. Place into a greased bowl (use baking spray) and cover with plastic. Allow to rest for 2 hours.
10. Once the dough has risen about 3 times the size, remove from the bowl onto a clean surface.
11. Cut the dough using a bench scraper or dough divider. Scale out into 1.5 ounce balls.
12. Roll the balls in a circular motion with your hand cupped to make a smooth surface. The motion should pull the dough towards the bottom, smoothing out the top.
13. Place the dough spaced out on a greased baking sheet or casserole dish. Cover very loosely with film, and allow to rest another hour.
14. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. When dough has risen at least twice its size, unwrap the film and bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
15. Make garlic butter with melted butter, garlic, and parsley.
16. When the bread is done baking, allow to cool briefly. Then, brush butter liberally over the top.
17. Shave pecorino over the top and serve immediately.

If you are not serving this bread fresh, be sure to place it into the refrigerator. You can reheat the bread in the oven or very briefly in the microwave (20 seconds) prior to serving.  you are saving it for later, brush with butter when you serve it. This bread is perfect for any
occasion and can be made in advance. Just remember to share it!

Classic Banana Bread

To celebrate my birthday last weekend, I had some friends over to play games and relax. We played fun minute-to-win it style games (basically absurd and unusual games with household objects). Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the party... For one of the games, we hung bananas from our waist and pelvic-thrusted oranges onto paper plates using the banana. It was as strange as it sounds... The bananas weren't really great for peeling and eating, since they got bruised along the way. Luckily, the peels didn't break, so they were perfect for smashing up into banana bread! 

My mom always used to make banana bread for my school teachers around the end of the school year when I was growing up. Thanks to the party, I had some bananas lying around, so what better use than banana bread!

Classic Banana Bread (makes 2 large loaves)
2 sticks Butter
1.5 cup Brown Sugar, packed
.5 cup Sugar
8 Eggs
1 tbsp Baking Soda
1.5 Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2.5 cup Flour
8 Bananas

3 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare 2 large loaf pans by spraying them well with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
3. Once aerated, add eggs gradually and mix until smooth.
4. Add dry ingredients, and then mix very slowly until incorporated.
5. Peel bananas, and smash with your hands into the mix.
6. After the bananas are dispersed throughout the batter, pour the mix into the prepared loaf pans.
7. In a bowl, place sugar and flour together.
8. Cut butter into small pieces, and use your hands to make a crumble.
9. Once the mixture becomes sandy, sprinkle a generous layer over each of the loaves.
10. Place the loaf pans onto a baking sheet to catch any drips.
11. Bake for about 1.5 hours, until the centers are fully baked. Test this using a toothpick or knife and poking a hole into the bread. It should come out clean.
12. Allow the bread to cool completely before removing from the pan. 

This is a simple, delicious recipe. It's not too sweet, and the crumble adds a nice texture. You can also add nuts, chocolate chips, or whatever else you desire to the batter for even more variety. I like to keep my banana bread classic, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey on a hot day!

Rose Jelly

I have knockout rose bushes growing right outside my house. The roses are untreated, so I thought it would be fun and innovative to use them to create something fun! The colors of the petals are a beautiful pink that translates perfectly into jelly.

The key to making rose-flavored things is using the most fragrant roses. They tend to carry the flavor better. If you don't have a strong enough flavor, you can always add rosewater for a more floral essence.

Rose Jelly (makes about 3 cups)
1 cup Water
1 cup Sugar
1.5 cup Rose Petals
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Pectin
2 tbsp Rose Water (optional)

1. Prepare untreated, pesticide-free rose petals by plucking them off of the buds, and then using scissors to cut off the white part where the petal was attached.That section is bitter.
2. Mix the sugar and pectin together by gently whisking. Then, bring water, sugar,and petals to a boil.
3. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. The color will seep out of the rose petals, and the mixture will look dull.
4. Add the lemon juice to the mixture and stir. The color should pop once again. You would add rose water to the mixture at this point, if desired.
5. Allow the mixture to thicken slightly. The mixture will start to coagulate. You can test the consistency of the jelly by cooling a drop quickly in the freezer. If it is too loose, add more pectin. If it is too tight, add more water. 
6. Pour into a sanitized, heat proof mason jar as soon as it is ready, and seal the lid immediately. It will slowly seal itself because of the heat. It's a way to quickly can the jelly
7. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then transfer the jar into the refrigerator.
8. The jelly will last a couple of weeks after opening. 

The jelly is a great balance of sweetness and acidity, with floral notes from the rose petals. The petals are a great inclusion, and make the jelly look incredibly unique in the jar. It's something that you wouldn't really find at a grocery store. It's a perfect wake-me-up with some artisan bread and butter!

The tea towel pictured is one that my friend, Esther gave me. She bought it from Crafted Westside, a small handmade goods boutique. Local Georgia artists display and sell their art there, and it's a great way to pick up a unique gift. I love this tea towel- not only is it adorable, but it also can be washed and dried with my other laundry! Plus, it photographs well :)

Apple Butter

Apple season is almost done, but I had to get in a quick fall apple recipe before it ended! What can you do with overripe apples? Make apple butter! It's a very simple way to use up apples and make them last longer! It's just a few ingredients, and the results are delicious!

Apple Butter
3 Apples
1 tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Water

1. Peel and core the apples.
2. Cut the apples into a medium dice and place into a medium saucepan.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
4. Cook over low heat for about 1.5 hours, stirring every 5 minutes.
5. Cook until the apples are very tender, and the water has evaporated out. However, do not let the apples dry out completely, as they will burn.
6. Use an immersion blender to break up the apples to a smooth consistency. It should look like a very thick applesauce.
7. If the apple butter is not thickened, return to the heat and reduce slightly.
8. Cool in a thin layer on a pan or a plate.
9. Once cool, transfer to an airtight storage container.

If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a fork or a potato masher to get rid of the large chunks. You want to get rid of as many chunks as you can.

I enjoyed this product on some artisan sunflower toast. The nuttiness of the bread complimented the sweet apple butter perfectly, making for a delicious snack!

Berry Mint Mojito

A couple of weeks ago, I catered a bloggers brunch with some of Atlanta's top style bloggers at Lululemon. It was great to experience catering for the women, and it was awesome to be able to see their smiling faces upon eating the food.

One of the most popular items on the brunch buffet was the berry mint mojito! It's a beautiful summery drink that boasts fruity, refreshing flavors. It's easy to make, and makes a beautiful presentation to any guests you serve it to. The cocktail is very light, refreshing, and delicious!

Berry Mint Mojito (Makes 6)
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
8 Mint Leaves
6 oz White Rum
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
1 liter Sparkling Water

1. In a small pot, bring the sugar and water to a boil.
2. Tear the mint leaves a couple of times and add to the sugar solution.
3. Allow the sugar solution to cool completely. Then, strain into a vessel, such as a jar, to pour into glasses. Place the vessel with the solution into the fridge to make it cold.
4. Place a couple of each berry into the bottom of a highball glass with about an ounce of rum and an ounce of the sugar solution.
5. Use a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon to muddle the berries into the rum and sugar solution.
6. Add sparkling water to fill the glass, and add a few ice cubes to keep cold.
7. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve immediately.

Not only is this drink simple and quick to make, it is entertaining to watch! It's a great way to spruce up a party- and show off your excellent bartending skills ;)

Now, for the brunch recap! This was actually my first delici-owh-so catered event, and it was actually pretty successful! The ladies seemed to enjoy the food, and the space was very well made for the type of event that Lululemon was hosting. At the brunch, people discussed visions and goals, which actually made me think about some that I have for this blog. This blog started out as a simple way to share my passion for food, and expand on it by honing my photography skills, and sharpening my writing skills. Of course, I will always have more to learn, but I think over the past year I've been developing more of a vision for myself as a blogger, but also as a professional. I hope to continue to be able to touch people's lives through my love of food, but in a more tangible way- through catering for them! I hope to get into doing desserts for small weddings and small events like this! I think this brunch was a small step to developing delici-owh-so as a brand. Still, there's much to plan and look into before I can make any of those goals a reality. Although that description sounds pretty vague, I hope it keeps all the readers on edge for what's to come! Anyways, here are some pictures from the brunch!

Spinach, Heirloom Tomato, and Goat Cheese Frittata

This frittata was very light, fluffy, and healthy! A perfect brunch option for any vegetarians out there!

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits- recipe here!

These biscuits are flaky, flavorful, and scream southern comfort! Simple and delicious!

French Toast with Orange Anglaise and Mixed Berries (Left); Desserts (Right)- Nectarine Mint Macarons, Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, Blueberry Muffins (click items for recipes!)

The macarons were the biggest hit for this event- and the recipe is posted on the blog! Be sure to check it out :)

Mimosa (left); Berry Mint Mojito (right)

These were very popular drink items that went perfectly for an afternoon brunch! :)

Photo By Futuristic Vintage

Me with the buffet :)

If you'd like your event to be delici-owh-so- catered, check out the box to the right! You can leave messages and ask about having your event catered by delici-owh-so! Not only do I cater brunches, but you can also special order custom macarons!

Summer Berry Bread Pudding

I am so sorry for the late post! I am moving away from Providence to Atlanta this weekend, and I have been attempting to prepare by spending time with friends, packing, and of course getting ready for graduation on Saturday! But first, I have to get through finals...

I recently made some delicious bread pudding with summer berries! It's a great, simple treat for summer, and quick and easy to make! I used Portuguese sweet buns from a local bakery. Croissants would also work well with this recipe.

Summer Berry Bread Pudding (Makes 1 9x13" pan)
Portuguese Sweet Buns (enough to overfill a 9x13" pan)
1 cup Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Dried Orange Peel
1/2 tsp Dried Lemon Peel
9 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice the bread into large cubes.
3. In a pot, heat milk, cream, ginger, cinnamon, lemon peel, and orange peel to a boil.
4. In the meantime, whisk eggs, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.
5. Once the milk comes to a boil, remove from heat and gently pour into the bowl with the eggs, whisking the eggs the entire time.
6. Once incorporated, add the bread into the bowl and move the bread around to soak in the mixture.
7. Put the bread into the casserole dish after it has soaked slightly. As you do this, place sliced berries throughout.
8. Pour any remaining batter over the bread, and place into the oven. You do not want berries to exposed at the top because they may burn.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the bread pudding is set.
10. Remove from oven and serve warm.

I like to serve this bread pudding with a scoop of delicious ice cream :) The ice cream will melt slightly, creating a cream that soaks into the bread pudding. It's a refreshing, comforting summer dessert!

Stay tuned for my goodbye Providence post on Sunday! I will do my best to be on time!

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

Biscuits are the epitome of soul food. These biscuits are flaky and delicious. Have them with a little bit of honey for a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory.

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits (Makes 12 Biscuits)

1 stick Butter

2 tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

10.5 oz Self Rising Flour

8oz Buttermilk

2 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese

2 strips Bacon

1/2 stick butter, for brushing 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Cut butter into small 1/2 inch cubes. 

3. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl with the butter. 

4. Separate all of the cubes and flatten them each between your fingers. 

5. Once the butter is flattened, rub the mixture between your fingers until the butter flakes become small, about pea sized. 

6. Cook the bacon in a frying pan and slice it to small pieces.

7. Mix the bacon bits and cheese into the biscuit mix. 

8. Add the buttermilk and mix until it comes together.

9. Turn the dough over onto the table and fold over itself a couple of times. 

10. Form into a 6x8 inch rectangle and cut with a knife into 12- 2x2 inch squares 

11. Place the biscuits onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes. 

12. Melt butter. 

13. Once the biscuits are golden and the centers are baked through, remove from the oven and brush thoroughly with butter. Serve warm. 

Sorry for the late post! It has been an extremely busy weekend. I will be back again Sunday night 10pm! Until then, enjoy some yummy soul food- delicious biscuits! Also, happy St. Patrick's Day!

French Onion Soup

 

Cold weather always makes me feel like eating soup. When it's freezing outside, I want to eat something hot to warm up! French Onion Soup has always been a favorite of mine. It's comfort food at its finest. The warm, rich broth with soft bread and stringy, melty cheese- there's nothing better on a cold day! This recipe for French Onion Soup is simple to make, and doesn't require too  much attention. It takes a little bit of time to properly caramelize the onions, but it's worth the wait! French Onion Soup is traditionally made with a little wine to deglaze the pan, but I make mine without it. The flavor is still rich, deep, and onion-y. 

French Onion Soup (Makes 4 Servings)

3 tbsp Butter

2 Onions

1 clove Garlic

32 oz Beef Stock

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 Baguette

8 slices Provolone Cheese

1. Slice the onions into thin, 1/4 inch slices. 

2. In a medium pot, melt butter on medium heat. 

3. Once the butter is melted, add the onions. Mix the onions to coat with butter. 

4. Turn down the heat to low. Continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally. 

5. Cook the onions for about 30 minutes, until caramelized. Don't rush this process, because you want the onions to be perfectly caramelized for the soup! Here's a picture of the finished onions.

6. Add the garlic and gently mix into the onions.

7. Add a little bit of beef stock to deglaze the pot slightly, and then add the remaining stock. 

8. Raise the heat to bring the soup to a boil, and then return to low heat to simmer for 45 minutes. Simmering the soup allows the flavors to develop fully, so that you can enjoy a full-bodied onion flavor. 

9. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. 

10. Slice the bread so that you have 8 slices. You can toast them slightly if you'd like. 

11.Place 4 oven-safe bowls onto a sheet pan.

12.When the soup has finished simmering, pour into the oven-safe bowls. Place 2 slices of bread and 2 slices of cheese over the top.

13. Place into the oven for about 5-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted completely and browned slightly. 

14. Remove from oven, place the bowls onto soup plates, and serve immediately. 

French Onion Soup takes some time to create, but if the time is taken to properly make it, the flavor is bold. The process is simple, and the ingredients are not very expensive, so be sure to make some for friends and family :) 

I've also reached 10,000 page views as of yesterday! A HUGE thanks to everyone keeping up with this blog, and sharing with their friends. Continue to share, create, and enjoy!

Avocado and Egg Salad

My mom was a large influence in my passion for food. I watched her cook since I was little, and she taught me a lot of what I know. My mom has taught me a lot of Korean cooking, but she also was a source of inspiration for my career path. Since I was young, my mom made banana bread or chocolate chip cookies for my teachers for holiday gifts. It was always exciting helping her in the kitchen. I would stand on one of the kitchen chairs so that I could reach the counter (I was really short... And still am...). It was exciting seeing simple ingredients come together to make something so different than the ingredients I started with. That began my interest in the pastry arts, which would eventually grow into a passion that would help decide my career path.

This is a recipe that my mom recently gave me. It's a delicious egg salad with a simple, healthy twist. The avocados add a freshness and lightness to the egg salad. It's also a healthier alternative to a traditional egg salad, since avocados are a healthy fat. The avocado replaces some of the mayonnaise that goes into egg salad because of its soft texture. It's a unique, tasty, and simple way to make egg salad.

Avocado and Egg Salad (Makes 12 Servings)
10 Eggs
1 Avocado
1/2 Onion
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1. Boil the eggs until cooked through, about 18-20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, cut the onion into small dices (about 1/4 in pieces) and place into a large bowl.
3. Once the eggs are done boiling, cool, peel, and cut into 1/4 in pieces and add to the bowl.
4. Cut the avocado into 1/4 in pieces also and add to the bowl.
5. Add seasonings and mayonnaise and mix thoroughly.
6. Store in a container in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to develop.
7. Enjoy in a sandwich or on top of a salad and share with your friends and family :)

The recipe is simple, but requires a lot of cutting. If you have an egg slicer, use it! I like to cut the pieces small so that every bite is filled with each ingredient. However, you can always add your own variation. I made my sandwich in the picture with whole wheat toast, fresh spinach, tomato, and cucumber. I have to pack lunches for my long days of classes, and this does just the trick! It's simple, healthy, yummy, and quick! 

Apple Picking

Fall has come and apple picking season is here! I recently went apple picking and it yielded some delicious results! While I was in Hebron, NH, a group of students and I went to a local apple orchard and picked to our heart's content! Lately, I find that many of my friends from all over the country are utilizing the season to go apple picking. For those of you who have more apples than you can eat, try your hand at some delicious fall desserts. Apple pie is always a favorite when apples are in season. Click here to see my recipe for apple pie :) However, this time I wanted to try something different. I used some traditional fall favors like cinnamon, maple, and apples to create some delicious bread pudding and ice cream!

This isn't your traditional bread pudding and ice cream. The bread pudding has a oatmeal gruyere topping that perfectly accompanies the sweetness of the apples. It's made with Portuguese sweet buns from a local bakery. The ice cream is a maple, bacon, and roasted apple ice cream that is a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The saltiness of the cheese and bacon balances the sweet brown sugar and maple syrup in the bread pudding and ice cream to create a delicious fall dessert.

Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding
Stale Diced Sweet Bread (Enough to overfill a 9x13in casserole dish)
5 Medium Apples
1/4 tsp Salt
1 pinch Pepper
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 Vanilla Bean
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
9 Eggs
1 tsp Cinnamon 

1. Peel, core, and medium dice apples.
2. Heat a saute pan and add butter.
3. Once hot, add apples. Season with salt, pepper, and maple syrup.
4. Stir until apples are tender. Remove from heat.
5. In a separate pot, place split vanilla bean, milk, and heavy cream.
6. In a large bowl, mix sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and cinnamon.
7. When the milk boils, pour slowly into the eggs. Whisk constantly.
8. Place apples and bread into the mixture, allow to soak.
9. Place into the greased 9x13in casserole dish.

Oatmeal Gruyere Topping
1/4 cup Oats
1/8 cup Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Butter
3 oz Gruyere Cheese

1. Melt butter.
2. Shred Gruyere. Mix into the oats and sugar.
3. Add butter and mix until incorporated.
4. Generously top the bread pudding.
5. Bake at 350F until set. The bread pudding will souffle (expand slightly), and the topping will be golden.

Maple, Bacon, and Roasted Apple Ice Cream
10 oz Heavy Cream
6 oz Milk
2 oz Sugar
2 oz Maple
4 Yolks
1 Egg
1 Apple
2 slices Bacon
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 pinch Salt
1 tsp Maple
1 tbsp Butter
1 pinch Cinnamon

1. Place the ice cream maker bowl into the freezer. Many ice cream makers have a bowl that needs to be in the freezer overnight to ensure proper freezing. Follow the manufacturer's directions for this step.
2. In a pot, heat milk, cream, and sugar.
3. In a bowl, mix maple, egg, and yolk.
4. Once milk mixture boils, pour slowly into egg mixture while mixing constantly.
5. Pour the mixture back into the pot. Turn the heat to low.
6. Mix constantly while touching the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
7. When the mixture thickens slightly, pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. This will remove any curdled egg pieces.
8. Cut bacon into small pieces.
9. Peel, core and small dice apple.
10. In a saute pan, cook bacon.
11. Once cooked, add apple. Then add sugar, salt, maple, butter, and cinnamon.
12. Cook until apples are tender.
13. Pour apple and bacon into the ice cream base. Cover with plastic wrap covering the surface.
14. Place into the fridge overnight to allow the flavors develop.
15. Pour the ice cream base through a sieve to keep the bacon and apple out of the ice cream base. This will keep the apple and bacon intact while the ice cream begins to spin.
16. Spin the ice cream according to the manufacturer's directions. When halfway frozen, add the bacon and apples.
17. Remove the ice cream and into an airtight container. The texture will be similar to soft serve. Allow to harden in the freezer before eating.

When serving this dessert, warm the bread pudding in the oven slightly. Serve with cold ice cream on a brisk fall day! Don't forget to share with your friends!

Go out and support your local growers by going apple picking!!! Not only is the produce delicious, but it's organic, tasty, and inexpensive! Take those apples and make something yummy to share.