Sunday, September 14, 2008
Food, In this Issue..., Recipes

Apple of my eye

A fall harvest dessert

Courtesy of Whole Foods Market

By Butch Raphael

As a chef and culinary coordinator for Whole Foods Market, I am ardent about incorporating local, sustainable foods into my recipes, and this time of year means sweet potatoes, squash, collard greens, pumpkins and pears, to name a few. But, for me, the fall means only one thing: apples!

From late August to early December, we’ll have access to an incredible variety of locally grown apples. I’m always amazed at the range of recipes apples lend themselves to: applesauce or butter, apple cider, apple pies—the list goes on and on. Yet, this recipe for apple and honey bread pudding is one of my favorites. It’s a reflection of both my Jewish culture and my love of regional Southern cooking (even if I am from the North). I originally created this simple bread pudding to serve during Rosh Hashanah, but, honestly, it would be the perfect end to any fall meal.

For this recipe, it’s best to start with the freshest, local apples you can find. Mercier Orchards, located in Blue Ridge, Ga., supplies Whole Foods Market with many of our local apples. They offer an incredible selection, which in early fall usually includes Jonagold, Red or Golden Delicious and Empire varieties. Golden Delicious apples are a sweet, tart variety that work well in almost all recipes, especially pies. Jonagold is a slightly sweeter apple that is great for desserts, and Empire apples have a great texture for cooked dishes like applesauce. I’m not particular to any one type of apple, and I think any of these options will work well in this recipe.

The other key ingredient in this bread pudding is the honey. There are several wonderful options for local honey, and each one offers a unique flavor profile. I find the most interesting honeys tend to be monofloral honeys; they usually have a distinctive flavor and color based on the type of flower nectar the bees have access to. Some of the more common monofloral honeys are clover, orange blossom, tupelo and sourwood.  In this recipe, I am using Weeks Honey Farm’s clover honey because it has a clean, light flavor that won’t overpower the apples, which, let’s face it, are the stars of this dish.

When it comes to bread options, I always use challah in my bread pudding recipes because of its sweet, egg-y flavor. This sweetness helps bring out the tart bite of the apples and the sweetness of the raisins. The soft texture also does an excellent job of absorbing the milk, egg and honey mixture without totally losing its form.

Lastly, when this bread pudding comes out of the oven, smelling warm and fall-like, I always serve it with a honey whipped cream to emphasize the mild honey flavors running throughout the dish. Typical whipped cream sweetened with sugar can be a bit cloying or overpowering to a mild dish like this one. By using honey instead of sugar, it allows the whipped cream to maintain its sweet characteristics but doesn’t mask any of the important elements going on in the dish.

Overall, I think you’ll find this is a simple recipe to make at home and an excellent way to take advantage of some of the incredible produce our local farmers are delivering this time of year. SP
Butch Raphael is the culinary coordinator for Whole Foods Market. For more information, visit www.wholefoods.com.

APPLE AND HONEY BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds challah bread, in large dice
• 1 pound apples, in large dice
• 10 eggs
• 6 cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 pints heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons honey

Instructions:

In a large pot, bring milk to a boil. In a separate bowl, whip the eggs, sugar and honey together.
Combine the diced apples, bread and raisins into a third bowl. Once the milk comes to a boil, remove from stove and slowly pour one cup of milk into the egg mixture, whisking rapidly. Then add the milk and egg blend back into the milk pot. Continue to whisk until well incorporated.

Pour mixture over bread and mix thoroughly. Place in a 9x13 oven-proof pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until a knife comes out cleanly when poked in center. Remove from oven and let cool. Just before serving, whip cream until soft peaks appear and sweeten as needed with honey. Serve bread pudding with a dollop of the sweetened cream on top.