A twist to the classic traditional bread pudding where bread is substituted with ground pretzels. The original Munchies Snack Mix consists of cheetos, doritos, sun chips and pretzels. My sons enjoy the snack mix except for the pretzels that are left behind in the bag. I usually coat the leftover pretzels with chocolate but this time, decided to grind them into a powder and prepare a pudding. Poured over a caramel base, the pudding was baked in a water bath. Though it took some time to set than the regular caramel bread pudding, it was worth the wait. Refrigerated overnight, the caramel pretzel pudding was luscious, creamy, soft and melted-in-your-mouth.
Pretzels can be substituted with any plain biscuits like digestive, arrowroot or marie. Ensure to grind them into a powder before incorporating into the warm creamy liquid. While preparing the caramel ensure not to burn it as it will taste bitter. A darker caramel with slight bitterness is preferred to offset the sweetness of the pudding rather than a pale caramel which is too sweet.
A water bath or bain-marie is a method of heating desserts gradually. A wide, deep pan (preferably a roasting pan) that can accommodate a smaller baking dish or pan is used. The smaller pan with the dessert mixture is placed inside the larger one. Hot water is poured into the large pan till it reaches halfway up the outside of the smaller pan. The large pan with the hot water and smaller pan containing the dessert mixture is carefully placed in the oven. The water bath method heats the dessert gently, preventing it from burning, drying or curdling.
Pretzels can be substituted with any plain biscuits like digestive, arrowroot or marie. Ensure to grind them into a powder before incorporating into the warm creamy liquid. While preparing the caramel ensure not to burn it as it will taste bitter. A darker caramel with slight bitterness is preferred to offset the sweetness of the pudding rather than a pale caramel which is too sweet.
A water bath or bain-marie is a method of heating desserts gradually. A wide, deep pan (preferably a roasting pan) that can accommodate a smaller baking dish or pan is used. The smaller pan with the dessert mixture is placed inside the larger one. Hot water is poured into the large pan till it reaches halfway up the outside of the smaller pan. The large pan with the hot water and smaller pan containing the dessert mixture is carefully placed in the oven. The water bath method heats the dessert gently, preventing it from burning, drying or curdling.
Baked, refrigerated & ready to invert
Caramel Pretzel Pudding
(Serves 8)
Caramel
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
Method:
In a saucepan, heat sugar with water. Do not stir sugar but swirl the pan. Cook till sugar is dark amber in color. Pour caramel in a baking dish or pan ensuring to spread caramel along the bottom and sides of the dish. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Pudding
Ingredients:
2 cups pretzels (ground to a fine powder)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups cream
2 cups full-fat milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
Method:
Beat eggs with sugar in a bowl, then add vanilla extract and nutmeg. Simultaneously, heat cream and milk in a saucepan. When slightly warm, pour over ground pretzels. Gradually incorporate into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to prevent eggs from cooking. This is called tempering where the temperature of the eggs are raised without heating them through. Do not add warm milk all at once. Ensure that the caramel is cool and set before pouring the pudding mixture into the prepared dish.
Bake in a water bath or bain-marie until the pudding has set in the centre. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. It took around 1 1/2 hours to set. Alternatively, the pudding can be steamed.
Lift the baking dish or pan carefully out of the water and cool. Cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator. When serving, run a knife all round the edge of the pudding and with your hands, gently move baking dish or pan both clockwise and anti-clockwise to loosen pudding. Invert onto a dish, cut into wedges and serve.
Alternatively, you could dip the dish in hot water for few seconds to loosen caramel, wipe bottom of the dish and then invert.
(Serves 8)
Caramel
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
Method:
In a saucepan, heat sugar with water. Do not stir sugar but swirl the pan. Cook till sugar is dark amber in color. Pour caramel in a baking dish or pan ensuring to spread caramel along the bottom and sides of the dish. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Pudding
Ingredients:
2 cups pretzels (ground to a fine powder)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups cream
2 cups full-fat milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
Method:
Beat eggs with sugar in a bowl, then add vanilla extract and nutmeg. Simultaneously, heat cream and milk in a saucepan. When slightly warm, pour over ground pretzels. Gradually incorporate into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to prevent eggs from cooking. This is called tempering where the temperature of the eggs are raised without heating them through. Do not add warm milk all at once. Ensure that the caramel is cool and set before pouring the pudding mixture into the prepared dish.
Bake in a water bath or bain-marie until the pudding has set in the centre. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. It took around 1 1/2 hours to set. Alternatively, the pudding can be steamed.
Lift the baking dish or pan carefully out of the water and cool. Cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator. When serving, run a knife all round the edge of the pudding and with your hands, gently move baking dish or pan both clockwise and anti-clockwise to loosen pudding. Invert onto a dish, cut into wedges and serve.
Alternatively, you could dip the dish in hot water for few seconds to loosen caramel, wipe bottom of the dish and then invert.
