"Tweaking"

Yup, that is me. I tweak. Sometimes I tweak recipes too much. One story I tell all the time is that I was hosting our monthly FACS meeting at my school. I prepared a white chicken chili recipe. I tweaked it. I tasted it....tweaked some more. So after the meeting one colleague asked for the recipe. I gave it to her....not even thinking. A few days later she called me and yelled.

Irate FACS teacher: " THAT WAS NOT THE SAME RECIPE!!"
JennyMac: 'what?'
IFT: The chili you served at the meeting.
JM: 'Oops, I may have added a few things here and there'
IFT: "Well I made the recipe you gave me. It didn't even come close to tasting like the one you prepared. It was so bland and your version was so tasty. So you better tell me exactly what you did to it, if you know what is good for you"
JM: *Looking above and schrunching eyes, trying to remember exactly my additions to avoid a pounding at my next meeting*


So the yummy picture you see above...the recipe I was following.... or going to use.... or the suggestions of ingredients that I planned to prepare....LOL. Ok another TWEAK!!! I had leftover panettone bread in the freezer from the holidays. I needed some room (I am not of those lucky ones who have a spare freezer in the basement or garage) and the bread pudding was a great way to use it up.

I didn't have a full pound loaf. I had about half of one. AND I also didn't want to bother with making a cinnamon syrup when I always have a stash of cinnamon/sugar. This mixture was brown sugar, cinnamon, a touch clove/nutmeg from some cinnamon buns I made awhile ago.

Panettone Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Syrup
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Serves: 8 servings

(this I skipped)Cinnamon Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bread Pudding:
Butter
1 (1-pound) loaf panettone bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes (I didn't trim...I like crusts)
8 large eggs (I used only half of everything here cuz I only had a 1/2 loaf remember?)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
(I added this)about 1 cup of cinnamon and brown sugar mix
( I am a nutty girl)your favorite nuts

To make the syrup: (again I skipped)

Combine 1 cup of water and brown sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil until the syrup reduces to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and cinnamon. Keep the syrup warm. (The syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Re-warm before serving.)

To make the bread pudding:

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish (I used a deep dish pie plate). Arrange the bread cubes in prepared dish.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to blend. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, and press the bread cubes gently to submerge. Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Before baking I took the cinnamon/sugar mix and put teaspoons here and there on top and flipped a cube of bread. I wanted the cinnamon stuff between the cubes here and there. The remaining cinnamon I sprinkled on top with the pecans I used.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake until the pudding puffs and is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Spoon the bread pudding into bowls, drizzle with the warm Cinnamon Syrup, (since I skipped the syrup, ice cream and/or whipped cream was nice with it) and serve.

ALSO HIGHLY SUGGESTED is Panettone made into THICK french toast. Giada has one of those too...but I figured I slaughtering one of her recipes was enough. I mix my heated syrup with melted butter.....THUD!!!