Ireland's Hottest TV Chef Shares Bread Pudding Recipe for St. Patrick's Day
When Rachel Allen left home at 18 to pursue a culinary arts education at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland, she never expected to become one of the hottest TV chefs in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and one of its most beloved food personalities.
Allen burst onto the broadcast scene with her first series in September 2004 on RTE (Ireland's national TV station). Called Rachel's Favourite Food, it was also screened on BBC 2 and has been seen in Australia, Italy, Africa and various other countries. The successful series was followed by Rachel's Favourite Food for Friends, Rachel's Favourite Food at Home, Rachel's Favourite Food for Living, and the current season?s Bake! Each series has been accompanied by a best-selling companion cookbook.
Allen?s popular TV shows reflect her philosophy about food and cooking. "I believe good ingredients simply prepared will give great results," she said. Allen cooks with home-grown ingredients ? fish from local waters, farm-fresh vegetables and Irish butter, made with milk from cooperatives of small family farmers. The butter is widely available in the United States, sold under the Kerrygold label.
A mother of three, Allen also is a food writer and a teacher at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, the internationally acclaimed school where she learned to cook. While Allen's tastes and culinary skills are both regional and global, for St. Patrick's Day, she provided American audiences with a comforting bread and butter pudding, recommending Kerrygold Butter for this recipe. "Butter just tastes different in Ireland because cows graze on lush pastures, giving the milk and the butter a distinctive flavor," she said. "Using Irish ingredients like Kerrygold Butter and cheeses will really make your dishes authentically Irish for St. Patrick's Day."
For more St. Patrick?s Day ideas www.Kerrygold.com/usa.
Rachel's Date Bread and Butter Pudding with Boozy Toffee Sauce
4 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
10 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed
7 ounces (about 1 cup) pitted dates, chopped
1 1/2 cups cream
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons) superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light brown sugar for sprinkling
Boozy Toffee Sauce (recipe follows)
Softly whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bread, leaving 4 slices whole and cutting the remaining 6 slices in half to make triangles. Grease the sides and base of an 8-inch square baking dish. Place the 4 whole slices of bread buttered side up on the base of the ovenproof dish, then sprinkle the chopped dates over the top. Arrange the triangles of bread buttered side up on top to cover the dates.
Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan almost to the boil. While it heats up, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl, then pour the very hot milk and cream on top, whisking as you pour. Pour this custard over the bread, and allow to soak for 20 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar over bread. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and carefully pour in enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden and the center just set. Serve with Boozy Toffee Sauce and some softly whipped cream.
Boozy Toffee Sauce
8 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter
8 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) light brown sugar (or half brown and half superfine sugar)
1 cup cream
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup sweet sherry
Place the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool for 1 minute, then add the brandy and sherry. Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Rachel?s Baking Tips: Try and find large, plump Medjool dates for this recipe. This recipe can be made a day ahead and then re-heated in the oven at 350 degrees F, for 8 to 10 minutes or until hot in the center.
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