The Foodie Files

Looking for a special Mother's Day brunch treat for this weekend?  What about a sweet something to send into school for Teacher Appreciation Week?  Or a surprise for the nurse in your life for Nurses Appreciation Week?  (For those of you wondering why I'm all of a sudden so aware of appreciation weeks, let the record show that 2/3rd's of my best friends are nurses or teachers...it's my job to know this stuff.)  You know the saying 'kill two birds with one stone'?  Well this recipe could kill a whole flock of birds (although I probably should've looked for a more appetizing way to express that sentiment...to be clear, this caramel apple bread pudding will neither kill you nor your birds).  It's brunch appropriate (hello Mother's Day) and has apple as a main ingredient (that's a teacher reference right there...and if you fudge the lines a little, it counts for nurses too...you know...the whole 'apple a day keeps the doctor away' and what not).  Okay, okay, it's a reach, but it's the most inclusive dish I could think of!  Although I changed a few things, I based the recipe on this one by Aunt Martha (or as she sometimes goes by, Martha Stewart).  Regardless of what you're celebrating this week, you should give this a go.  I tried it earlier this week and the rave reviews abounded!

2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cut into matchsticks

Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
6 croissants
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Caramel Sauce

6 8oz ramekins 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a small bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.  Cut croissants into medium pieces, like so...

Butter ramekins and place in a roasting pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Add croissants and toss to coat.  Place 1 tablespoon caramel sauce into each ramekin, then add approximately 1/3 cup apple mixture, then 1/3 cup bread mixture.  Add a second layer of sauce, apple, and bread.

Carefully place the roasting pan on the center oven rack.  Fill roasting pan with hot water to within 1/2 inch of ramekin tops.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and cook 20 minutes.  Remove foil, then cook 20 minutes more. Remove roasting pan from the oven, and transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes.  Invert ramekins onto serving platter. Serve warm and drizzled with caramel sauce.  We added vanilla ice cream for a special treat!