Make Mother’s Day special during coronavirus with these iconic recipes
Mom deserves a little extra love this year, don’t you think?
After weeks of sheltering in place during the global coronavirus pandemic, Mother’s Day is coming Sunday.
Extra kudos need to go to moms this year, especially those mothers pulling double duty acting as their children’s teacher at home, often while balancing their day jobs. The same goes for moms working the front lines in the healthcare field, and the new front lines at places like grocery stores.
So we thought it’d be fun to share some iconic recipes you can use to treat mom (or just make yourself).
Some recipes are favorites we’ve pulled from our archives. The bread pudding from Cracked Pepper Bistro, for example, is perhaps the most beloved dessert in town. And since tri-tip is so popular in Fresno, we thought we’d share a recipe for Santa Maria barbecued tri-tip sandwiches from The Barbecue Hall of Fame in Santa Maria.
Some of the recipes are from national companies that have recently decided to share the secrets to their famous dishes during the pandemic. We have the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies that DoubleTree by Hilton hotels hand out at check in. And Disney Parks has released a recipe that is not the actual DOLE Whip dessert served in its parks, but a home recipe version of the frozen pineapple treat inspired by the Disney classic.
Happy cooking, and happy Mother’s Day.
Cracked Pepper’s signature bread pudding
Makes 10 servings
For pudding:
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup rum
10 small, day-old dinner rolls, chilled
3 day-old croissants, chilled
2 day-old cheese Danishes, chilled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For brandy sauce and garnish:
2 cups heavy cream for the sauce, plus more to whip as garnish
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons brandy or to taste
Special equipment needed:
Candy thermometer
5 (3-by-5-inch) mini loaf pans
To make the bread pudding: In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Set aside. Attach a candy thermometer to a heavy-bottom saucepan. Place heavy cream and vanilla bean into the saucepan, and simmer over low heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 180 degrees, but be sure the temperature does not rise higher. Remove from heat.
Remove vanilla bean, then very slowly pour the hot cream into the egg-yolk mixture while whisking vigorously with a wire whisk. (Be sure not to scramble the eggs.)
Whisk in brandy and rum. Set the custard aside.
Cut cold dinner rolls, croissants and cheese Danishes into 2-inch cubes. Place half the dinner-roll pieces into a large bowl, then top with half the croissants. Then add half the Danish pieces. Repeat layers until the bread is all used up.
Pour the custard over the bread. Using a large spatula, very gently fold the bread into the custard, just until it absorbs the liquid. (Do not overmix. The bread pieces should remain chunky, not mushy.)
Cover the bowl, and chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. (You also can let it sit overnight.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the mini loaf pans with softened butter, then divide the bread-pudding mixture among them. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm in loaf pans until ready to serve.
To make the sauce: Place the cream and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take the saucepan off the heat, and add brandy to taste. Set aside. Whip enough heavy cream to garnish the puddings. Set aside. To serve, pour a few spoonfuls of brandy sauce on 5 dessert plates.
Flip the mini loaf pans upside down over a cutting board. Tap the bottoms of the pans until the bread puddings pop out. Place each bread pudding, crispy-side up, on a sauced plate. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream, and serve immediately. (One loaf yields two servings.)
— Vatche Moukhtarian, Cracked Pepper Bistro
Santa Maria barbecued tri-tip sandwich
Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coffee
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Rub:
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 to 2 1/2 pounds tri-tip beef, about 1 1/2 inches thick
12 slices French bread (can also use your favorite type of sandwich rolls) Oak, mesquite, or hickory chips soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
1. To make the barbecue sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, ketchup, steak sauce, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, ground coffee, and black pepper.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Puree the sauce in a food processor or blender. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.
2. To make the dry rub: In a small bowl, mix together the black pepper, garlic salt, mustard, paprika, and cayenne. Press the mixture into the surface of the tri-tip, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours or as long as 24 hours.
3. Follow the grill manufacturer’s instructions for using wood chips. Sear the tri-tip directly over medium heat, turning once, until both sides are seared, about five minutes total. Then grill the tri-tip indirectly over medium heat, turning once, until the internal temperature is about 140 degrees for medium-rare, 20 to 30 minutes more. Allow to rest for five minutes before slicing thinly on the diagonal against the grain.
4. Build each sandwich with slices of meat and a dollop of sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes six servings.
— The Barbecue Hall of Fame in Santa Maria
DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe
Makes 26 cookies
½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ¼ cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch cinnamon
2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.
Cook’s note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Disney Parks Frozen Pineapple Treat
Serves four
1 big scoop of ice cream
4 ounces of pineapple juice
2 cups frozen pineapple
Add pineapple, ice cream and juice to a blender.
Start blending at low speed and increase to high speed. Blend until smooth. Make sure lid is on tight.
Use a piping bag with a star tip to create a classic swirl, or just scoop right into bowls.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 10:57 AM.
