If you find yourself with a leftover croissant, don’t stick it in the freezer.

Here’s a delicious way to use to use it, from Sun Basket.

Bread pudding is a flexible dish. You can serve it at brunch, or as a dessert for lunch or dinner.

For a snack, it hits the spot with a cup of coffee or tea.

And this recipe is a triple comfort food: chocolate, custard pudding and buttery croissants.

You can enhance the bread pudding with caramel or chocolate sauce, even use it as the base of a hot fudge sundae.

Or, make it seasonal with a garnish of spiced nuts or candied nuts, and/or dried or chopped fresh fruits (photo #4).

More ways to make bread pudding more festive:

 
Here’s the featured recipe, with links to more bread pudding recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE-CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds onto a small plate or bowl. Set aside the bean and seeds.

2. COMBINE the cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat. Season with a pinch of salt, whisking occasionally, until small bubbles appear around the edges and steam begins to rise. Immediately remove from the heat. But while the cream mixture warms…

3. PREPARE the egg yolks to make the custard. Set out a medium and a small bowl. Crack 1 egg at a time and separate the yolk and white. Place the yolks in the medium bowl and the whites in the small bowl. You won’t be using the whites in this recipe, so save the whites for another use (add to scrambled eggs or omelets, or these uses for egg whites).

4. ADD the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking until well combined. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or bowl. Discard the vanilla bean and set the custard aside.

5. TEAR or cut the croissant into 1-inch pieces. Coarsely chop the chocolate. Arrange the croissant pieces in an even layer in a small baking dish or large ramekin, then scatter the chocolate on top. Pour the custard over the croissant and chocolate. Place the small baking dish or large ramekin inside a medium baking dish and place both baking dishes in the oven.

6. POUR warm tap water into the medium baking dish, using a pitcher or kettle, filling it one-fourth full to create a water bath for the bread pudding. Cover both baking dishes with a sheet pan or aluminum foil. Bake until the custard is set, 20 to 25 minutes.

7. REMOVE from the oven, carefully remove the small baking dish from the water bath, and let cool to warm before transferring to individual plates or bowls and serving.
 

MORE BREAD PUDDING RECIPES

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF BREAD PUDDING
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CROISSANTS
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PUDDING
 
 
________________

*Truth to tell, we added extra chocolate.

[1] Milk Chocolate Bread Pudding, made with a leftover croissant (photo © Sun Basket), a premium meal delivery service focusing on organic and clean ingredients.

[2] This Mushroom Bread Pudding with gruyere and radicchio shows that bread pudding can be savory, too. Here’s the recipe (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] How about a seasonal bread pudding: Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Bourbon Sauce? Here’s the recipe (photo © Go Bold With Butter).

[4] Bread pudding garnished with raisins and candied walnuts. You can pass the garnishes in a bowl, along with a bowl of mascarpone or whipped cream (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[1] Serve a Sunday spaghetti dinner with GIY (garnish-your-own) platters of meats and vegetables (photo © DeLallo).

[2] You can roast just a few vegetables or a whole feast of them (photo © Pampered Chef).

[3] Add shishito peppers to pasta? Consider them a substitute for crushed red pepper flakes. Here’s the recipe from Nutmeg Nanny (photo © Nutmeg Nanny).

Today’s tip is about Sunday pasta dinner, and the “Sunday sauce” made for it.

We also expand the idea of a spaghetti dinner, with a DIY addition of meats and vegetables.

If you come from an Italian-American family, you know what Sunday sauce is.

While there are as many ways to make sugo della Domenica (Sunday sauce) as there are families who eat it, this much is agreed:

It is grandma’s (or Mom’s) special tomato sauce, hearty and homemade for Sunday dinner pasta.

If you add meat, it’s called Sunday gravy—although this latter Americanism is inaccurate*. Stick to Sunday sauce.

Recipes for Sunday sauce have different types of meat; often the “big three”: beef (ground or meatballs), pork and Italian sausage. Each of the cuts enhances the richness of the sauce, as they simmer away.

Some cooks add a bit of red wine to the sauce. Others are sure to add fresh basil and rosemary, in addition to dried bay leaves and oregano.

Why dried oregano? It’s actually better-tasting.

 
 
MAKE THE SAUCE OR BUY IT

There are many recipes online for Sunday Sauce recipe. This one from DeLallo uses imported San Marzano tomatoes, pork ribs, vegetables and spices—just like grandma used to make.

Since good tomatoes aren’t available year-round (and have gotten very pricey), imported canned San Marzano tomatoes make the best sauce.

Since October is National Pasta Month, we’d like to expand on the idea of Sunday sauce on pasta.
 
 
DIY SUNDAY PASTA DINNER

For a festive pasta dinner, we like to serve a basic spaghetti-and-marinara with DIY platters of meat and vegetables.

We actually prefer linguine (flat) to spaghetti (round), because it’s easier to twirl.

Our modern approach to a spaghetti/linguine dinner is to serve the pasta, tossed with the sauce, on individual plates, with each diner choosing his/her preferred add-ons from meat and vegetable platters.

Prepare what you like from this list:

 
Buon appetito (enjoy your meal)!

________________

*Many Italian-Americans call the sauce “gravy” because it has meat in it; the rest of us seeking an alternative to Sunday sauce would simply call it “meat sauce.” While the Italian word for sauce is sugo, and Sunday sauce is sugo della Domenica, the equivalent term for gravy is sugo d’arrosto, which means “juice of a roast.”

†Hatch chiles are seasonal, harvested in the Southwest from August until the end of September, although sometimes a few weeks earlier and later, depending on the weather.
 
  

Minds may be wandering to Halloween candy at this time of year, but we’ve found our favorite treat: a box of chocolates from North South Confections.

These are not your typical box of artisan chocolates; but rather, the best combination of fruit, caramel and chocolate we’ve ever tasted.

Chocolatier Justine Pringle starts with 100% fresh fruit pureés, caramelizes them, and then infuses them with either white or milk chocolate. They are then enrobed in 70% cacao dark chocolate.

The results are spectacular.

The company’s first collection is called Fruits Both Familiar and Curious. It is $52 for 12 pieces, and worth every cent.

So treat yourself. The gift box alone is a gorgeous keeper.

After we consumed the first box, we couldn’t wait to order more.
 
 
AN AWARD WINNING CHOCOLATIER

These chocolate tastes of heaven are the creation of Justine Pringle, a Danish-South African chocolatier who now lives in New York City.

Justine has been named one of the “Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America” by Dessert Professional Magazine.

Prior to starting North South Confections she created the award-winning Nunu Chocolates, which was named “Top Ten Chocolates” by New York Magazine and one of Bon Appetit’s “Best Chocolates in America.” It was also a named a Top Pick Of The Week by THE NIBBLE.

Needless to say, Justine has a great chocolate pedigree. Growing up in Copenhagen, Johannesburg, and Geneva (where she ate chocolate every single day, she wants you to know), she has a cultured palate that’s reflected in the variety of flavors she selects.
 
 
THE NORTH SOUTH CONFECTIONS CHOCOLATES

The mix of both familiar and curious fruits include two pieces each of:

 
What’s graviola? Also known as soursop or Brazilian paw paw, it’s the fruit of the Annona muricata evergreen tree. It’s the same genus as cherimoya (also known as the custard apple).

 
Naranjilla, a.k.a. naranjillo and the lulo fruit, is fondly called “the gold of the Andes.” Its flavor is reminiscent of a fusion of lime and rhubarb.

 
 
GET YOURS NOW

You deserve a box of these palate pleasers; and we wager that you’ll want another box as soon as you finish the first.

Head to North South Confections.
 
 
> KNOW YOUR CHOCOLATE: A GLOSSARY OF TYPES & TERMS
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE

[1] The photo doesn’t show how gorgeous the gift box is. The lid closes with a hidden magnet. We re-purposed our box to hold jewelry; but keepsakes, letters or anything precious are a natural fit (all photos © North South Confections).

[2] It’s hard to pick a favorite flavor among the six, but the edge goes to Passion Fruit.

[3] The flavor called Naranjillo means “little orange,” but the fruit, fondly called “the gold of the Andes,” tastes like a fusion of lime and rhubarb.

[4] Strawberry, a popular fruit, is even more splendid when caramelized and mixed with chocolate.

[1] A seasonal snack: Pumpkin Spice Latte ice pops (photo © Zoku).

[2] Instant espresso powder has many uses. Check them out (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[3] Look for instant espresso powder in your grocer’s coffee aisle (photo © Medaglia d’Oro).

This seasonal ice cream pop recipe comes to us from Zoku, the leader in creative ice pop molds.

Check out their 21 different ice pop designs.

Don’t call these ice cream pops Popsicles, however.

Popsicle© is a trademarked term referring to a single brand—the one that produces those long, thin icy treats (the history of Popsicles).

Anything else is simply (and legally) an ice pop. If it’s made with milk and/or cream, like this recipe, it’s an ice cream pop.

> More pumpkin spice recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE ICE CREAM POPS

Take the season’s favorite coffee flavor and turn it into an ice cream pop.

Ingredients For 6 Pops

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the instant espresso granules with the water until the granules are completely dissolved.

2. WHISK in the sugar, vanilla, pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, milk, and heavy cream until thoroughly combined and smooth.

3. CHILL the mixture (if not chilled, the pops will take longer to freeze)

4. ASSEMBLE: Insert the sticks and pour the pumpkin spice latte base into the molds, until you reach the fill line. Let them freeze completely.

5. REMOVE the pops and enjoy your sweet treat.
 
 
USES FOR ESPRESSO POWDER

If you don’t want to buy instant espresso powder just for this recipe, don’t worry: You can use it in so many different recipes.

It enhances any baked chocolate recipe, as well as rubs for steak, enhancements for salad dressings and salads, and even oatmeal.

Check out 12 different espresso powder uses here.

You can also, of course, make a cup of instant espresso.

In fact, espresso powder was invented for that purpose. Then, cooks discovered that it could add great pops of flavor to many different recipes.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ESPRESSO

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

October is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month.

It’s also The Nibble’s unofficial holiday, Pumpkin Spice Month.

We’re very fond of this Maple Pumpkin Spice Pecan Popcorn recipe.

But here’s something simpler, Pumpkin Spice Popcorn that uses ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

It’s a sweet treat, with the added benefit of lots of fiber from whole-grain popcorn (the benefits of whole grains).

And it’s gluten-free!

In addition to out-of-the-bowl, you can use this sweet popcorn:

 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICE POPCORN
 
Ingredients For 8 Cups

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the popped corn into a large bowl. Melt the butter and add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

2. DRIZZLE over the popcorn and toss until well coated.
 
 
MORE SEASONAL POPCORN RECIPES

 
 
OTHER USES FOR POPCORN

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF POPCORN

[1] Whip up some pumpkin spice popcorn and put on a movie (photo © Popcorn Board).

[2] How old is your cinnamon? Give it a sniff: If it isn’t redolent of spicy cinnamon aroma, it may be time to buy a new jar (photo © McCormick).

[3] We prefer to grate nutmeg each time we need some, in order to get the brightest nutmeg flavor. Buy some nuts (that’s why it’s called nut-meg) and try it (photo © McCormick).

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.