Improv Challenge Vegan Eggnog Bread Pudding with Cranberry Sauce

December has been such an exciting month.

I have participated in the Mom's Crazy Cooking Challenge (here).

I made 3 dozen cookies and mailed them to fellow bloggers for the Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap (here).

Today I am participating in the Improv Challenge, hosted by Kristen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.

For the challenge we are given two ingredients and asked to either find a recipe or create a recipe with them.

This month we had cranberries and egg nog.

Now I have never had egg nog and never been one to want to drink it, yuckiness just comes to mind thinking about it.

However I decided I had to be completely open to the idea and then a stroke of brilliance hit me...BREAD PUDDING (imagine a great shining light as I realize this is my dish).

I decided to do a little reading on bread pudding, as I've never made one, and found Paula Deen to be incredibly helpful.  So I've based my recipe today on a bread pudding she made however I veganized it (so that no animals were hurt during the cooking of this dish).

Vegan Eggnog Bread Pudding with Cranberry Sauce
adapted from Paula Deen
2 C sugar
5 eggs (used Ener-G egg replacers)
2 C Silk Egg Nog
3 C cubed French Bread (left out to stale for 24 hours)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C Earth Balance, melted
1 C chopped almonds

Mix your eggs according to the package, then add your sugar, egg nog, and vanilla.

Pour over your cubed stale bread.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl mix brown sugar, Earth Balance, and almonds.

Pour your bread mixture into a 9x13 pan and top with the almond sugar mixture.

Place in a 350 degree over for 35-45 minutes.

For the sauce:

1 C sugar
1/2 C Earth Balance
1 egg, beaten (used Ener-G egg replacers)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 C frozen cranberries
1/4 C apple jack brandy

In a pot, on medium heat, combine your Earth Balance, sugar, egg, cranberries and vanilla.  Stir together until the sugar is melted.

Add your brandy and stir well.

Serve your bread pudding and top with sauce.

My children were not huge fans of the brandy sauce and prefer just to eat the egg nog pudding on its own.

Not one to want to waste the sauce I needed to find a way to repurpose it.

I happened to have 6 banana bread muffins on hand that were over cooked (sometimes I am just asleep at the wheel and I baked the muffins WAY too long).

I decided to cube the muffins and then doctor the sauce.

I blended the sauce with 1/2 C of Silk Egg Nog and then poured that over my cubed banana bread muffins.

I let the mixture sit in the bowl for 10 minutes and then poured it into an 8x6 dish.

Baked for 40 minutes on 350 degrees.

I pulled this pink concoction out of the oven.

I was a little skeptical due to color, but the flavor really is quite awesome and the kids like this combination much better.

So please try both versions they are great for breakfast, dessert, or a dish to bring to your next holiday party.

It has been so much for participating in this Improv Challenge I cannot wait to see what next month's ingredients are.

Please check out the links below and see what other crafty bloggers have made up for us.

Tweet

Peach Bread

In my kitchen was this

What is this you ask?

Well it is the left over "juice" from a jar of peaches I canned here.

I thought it would be a great shame to just pour this out when SURELY it could have a purpose

The purpose came to me as I gazed on 3 peaches from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that we had not yet consumed.

I thought surely I could make banana bread with peaches and then was born:

Peach Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 C sugar
2 peaches pureed
1 peach diced
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 shake nutmeg
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax meal, 3 Tbsp water)
1/4 C oil

I mix my flax egg first (so it can thicken) and then I combine all the other ingredients (the least amount of dishes to do afterwards the better).

Add the flax egg and mix it to incorporate

Pour into a greased loaf pan

Bake for 50 minutes at 375 degrees and out pops this

While it was still warm I brushed the top with some of the reserve "juice" to give the bread a sheen.

The bread is very mild in flavor, but super moist.

My kids have especially liked this bread sliced and toasted followed up with a smear of jelly (their current favorite is Crofter's Four Fruit)

Tweet

Trip and Treat

It's not even October and I am handing out a treat.

I know, I am super generous like that.

For the boys being at the beach not only meant they got to play in the sand and surf they were able to share their favorite games on the iPad with their grandparents.

The backyard has a wonderful natural area where the kids could run and play all sorts of pretend games.

Ocean City (Maryland) has a boardwalk full of street performers, rides, games, and food you should not eat (DEFINITELY not veg friendly).

We saw a variety of street performers.

There was one guy who made spray paint art in 15 minutes flat

and a guy who made religious symbols in the sand (VERY impressive)

We were lucky to find The Lazy Lizard.

A restaurant situated directly on the water, you could taxi your boat over to it should you choose.

The Lizard had a delicious black bean burger as well as a playground for the kids...now that is a way to pass the time when you are waiting for your food.

The one last highlight of the trip that I want to share with you is Birch's Farm stand.

Birch's was about 2 minutes from our house and offered some of the most delicious and fresh produce (the farm is directly behind the stand).

Local farmer's markets, or stands like this one, are a great way to make your vacation dollars go further and provide you with a much healthier alternative to the grocery store.

Now as promised a recipe!!

While we were away our garden continue to grow.  Like Jack and the Beanstalk we came home to find this

A 12" zucchini.

Holy Smokes just image the fish stories you could make up with this one.

I decided to talk this big monster and the leftover zucchini from last week's CSA and make zucchini bread and some puree (I freeze the puree and use it in muffins when the kids request them).

Zucchini Bread


2 C whole wheat flour
1 C unbleached all purpose flour
3 flax eggs
1/2 C cooking oil
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 C sugar
2 C grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 C raisins (which are optional...however are a must for my kids)

The zucchini can be grated by hand or in a food processor.  For me I am old school so I pull out my hand grater and get to work, all the while praying I don't scrape a knuckle.

Combine your sugar, oil, applesauce, and vinegar.

Whip together your flax eggs (3 Tbsp ground flax meal and 9 Tbsp water)

Add to mixture along with zucchini

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and combine

I prefer mini loaves so I divided the batter into 8 mini loaves

Place in 325 degree oven and wait patiently

40 minutes later you get this (well 8 of these)

 This is by far the most moist bread I have ever made.

Give this a try and let me know how it turns out!!!!

Tweet