Today is my wife’s birthday (Happy Birthday Ilyssa!). After the Peanut Butter & Jelly Necklace debacle, I decided that I needed to up my game a little bit.I decided to replace the necklace, with several items from Lucy and Ann Taylor Loft. A pretty safe bet with my wife. This morning I made Ilyssa, Challah Bread Pudding. I found this recipe over at Mango & Tomato, this recipe is super easy and the perfect recipe for an easy make ahead brunch. I also attempted to make homemade ricotta cheese last night, after the ridiculously fantastic home-made ricotta we had at NorthSide Social last week. Unfortunately, it was a big fat failure. When I figure out what I did wrong, and after I (hopefully) get that recipe from Northside Social, I will post it on EatMore DrinkMore. More importantly, do you know where we are going tonight? KOMI!! So excited, I can’t even tell you. We went there for our first wedding anniversary and this will be our first time back. Thank god we got a reservation before the Obama’s went there last week, because I am sure it is going to be next to impossible to get a reservation there now. Hell Burger still has a line because of the Obama visit. Fortunately, I don’t go to Komi often so this last date night won’t impact me too much. I swear, if Obama heads over to Me Jana in Courthouse, I am going to be pissed. I love that place and I like being able to get a reservation there last minute.
Recipe after the jump.
Challah Bread Pudding – Adapted from Mango & Tomato. Go check it out over there. Much better pictures and instructions.
5 eggs
1/8 cup real maple syrup – Don’t use that Aunt Jemima stuff, it is nasty.
2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup half & half
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3 T of butter
1 challah loaf (semi stale) cut into 1 inch cubes
Directions
1. Brush a 12 inch muffin tin with melted butter. Save the remaining butter
2. In a bowl whisk together eggs, maple syrup, remaining butter, vanilla and half & half.
3. Fold in chocolate chips, and challah cubes. (You can also add bananas, sugar, cherries, cinnamon, or orange zest, if you wish)
4. Fill each muffin cup with the mixture.
5. Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
6. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes
*If this picture looks like it wasn’t taken in my kitchen, it is because I took the picture on the hood of my neighbors car for better lighting.
