Almond Mocha Pudding Cookies

Let's make this short and sweet. Just like the recipe for these delicious cookies. I will however give you a quick background.

During my recent visit in Alabama, my sister and I were craving something sweet. Or maybe it was just me and she politely went along with it (how southern of her). Either way, we quickly discovered the limitations of our resources. But I was determined. I mean...I was in a gorgeously huge kitchen after all....and I needed to bake!

A quick inventory found us with flour, sugar, butter, and eggs....thats good. We have the basics. What else....a box of chocolate pudding? Hmmm....this could be interesting. Oh, and a handful of sliced almonds..

Well...this is a job for Google! A quick search for 'pudding in cookies' came up a surprisingly long list of results. I had never heard of using pudding in cookies (apparently I'm in the minority where that's concerned. Oh well, so much for thinking we were on the cutting edge of a new method). What we ended up with were amazing, delicious, soft, melt in your mouth cookies!

Almond Mocha Pudding Cookies

Inspired by Kraft Easy Pudding Cookies
makes about 4 dozen 2" cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened (read the tip below regarding the end result based on which one is used)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3.9 oz packet of instant pudding
1 tsp instant coffee
2 eggs
2 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat your oven to 350'

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy,

Add the pudding and instant coffee and beat until combined.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Mix in the flour until well combined.

Scoop out 1 tablespoon of cookie dough, form into a ball and place onto a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Place a few almond slices on top of the dough ball and gently press to secure.

Bake 11 - 13 minutes. Allow to cool 1 minute before placing onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely. (HA!! Ya right! Who are we trying to kid here? Grab one...for each hand.)

Tip:
Margarine will result in a fluffy almost cake like cookie
Butter will result in a flatter, not as fluffy cookie

Both are soft, chewy and amazingly delicious! Don't be surprised if they don't last more than 24 hrs.

Cinnamon Roll Style Bread Pudding

What do you do when your husband brings home Pandoro (traditional Italian sweet yeast bread) and you forget to eat, serve or otherwise do anything with it during the holidays?

You make bread pudding.

Crazy good bread pudding.

Maybe because you feel guilty for ignoring the Pandoro. Or maybe you think it might deserve to be treated a little special. Ooor...maybe you're just craving cinnamon rolls and are too lazy to make them.

Cinnamon Roll Style Bread Pudding
Inspired by Cinnamon Roll Bread Puddiing
Printable Version

10 oz of large dice Pandoro (about 7 cups)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Amaretto or any nut flavored liqueur
1/2 cup sugar plus more for garnish
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon Roll Glaze (recipe to follow if you don't have one)

Preheat your oven to 350' F.

Sprinkle the cinnamon over the diced bread and arrange in a 2 quart casserole dish.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, cream, Amaretto, 1/2 cup, vanilla extract and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread. Let everything soak together for at least 15 minutes.

Bring about 8 cups of water to a simmer.

Top the bread pudding mixture with pecans and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of sugar. Place the dish into a larger roasting pan and add enough hot water to reach about halfway up the side of the baking dish, creating a water bath.

Place both dishes in the oven and bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until custard has set and the top is browned. Remove from water bath and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

To make a simple glaze, combine 4 TB butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla. Beat until combined. Add 3 - 6 TB of hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Drizzle over the top, reserving some for individual servings as desired.

I don't know if this is a dessert...or a breakfast....both? One and the same...depending on how late of a night you've just had? Which ever it is....you're gonna want more of this velvety smooth, cinnamonie, nutty, deliciousness.

Grandma Mary's Banana Pudding

The other day I asked my sister if she had a recipe she'd share with me. I wanted a dessert....and I wanted it to be something I hadn't made.

My sister lives in Alabama, so for me this would be a total blind recipe. Never tasted, never seen.

She told me about Grandma Mary's Banana Pudding.

Nope...we don't have a grandma named Mary. I don't even think we have a relative named Mary. But there was a real Grandma Mary.

She lived next door (read 1/2 mile away) from my parents. I had the pleasure of meeting Grandma Mary a few short times but for my little sisters, she was like a grandmother. Just a sweet, darling little lady. Southern through and through and this recipe is one of hers.

Let me tell you....this is not like any banana pudding you've ever had.

If it is, then thats only because you've had this very same one before and you will be able to confirm that this is one fantastic dessert.

There aren't a whole lot of ingredients. It's not difficult at all. But I have to warn you...what sets this apart from the others is the coconut topping. And that takes a bit of time.

but WAY worth it!!!

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups coconut flakes
2 packages 3.5 oz vanilla pudding mix (pair according to package instructions)
6 bananas
1 16 oz container cool whip

Preheat oven to 300' F

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, butter and coconut

I started out using a fork to mix this up and ended up using my hands. It makes a doughy blob which would be kinda messy in a mixer.

Take that blob and crumble it as best you can into a shallow roasting pan. Bake for about 45 minutes. During the baking process, say....every 10 minutes or so, stir, mash, and crumble the mixture with a spatula. This will accomplish two things

1. Prevent the mixture from turning into a cake
2. Create nice toasty, golden brown crumbles...which is what you want the end result to be

Have you pre-paired the pudding? Cuz you're gonna need it

In a 13 x 9 casserole dish, take about 2/3 of the coconut crumbs and put them on the bottom of the dish. Carefully spread the pudding over the crumbs. Slice the bananas and cover the pudding with the slices....spread the cool whip over the bananas and then sprinkle the remaining coconut crumbs over the cool whip.

Put into the fridge to set and enjoy!!

My oldest daughter told me...."Mom, I don't LIKE pudding". Ok dear. Whatever you say.

10 minutes later she's going back for seconds. Apparently "this is pretty good for pudding".

Just so ya know...It would be very simple to cut the recipe in half and make an 8x8 dish. I'll do that next time. (half of this went to work today so I wouldn't be eating it all week)

Also....I'll probably make my own vanilla pudding from scratch the next time I make it. I'm not saying it wasn't good as is...cuz this stuff is waaaay good. But come on...homemade pudding? I knoooooow!!! I thought about making my own whipped cream but I don't know if it has lasting power the way cool whip does. Right?

Oh...and if you're tempted to use banana pudding......be my guest. I personally can't do the "banana flavor" thing. Trust me...with all those banana slices, you get plenty of real banana flavor!