August 13, 2007

LYCHEE BREAD PUDDING AND LYCHEE SHANTY COOLER



Bread pudding with Lychees, is my contribution "A fruit a month aka AFAM" which is started by Maheswari of "Beyond the usual" blog.This month's guest is our own pretty girl Sig from "Live to eat" blog with her choice of fruit "Lychee".Thanks for hosting Sig!:))




About Lychees:

The Lychee,also called Litchi, is a tropical fruit tree native to southern China. It is also found south to Indonesia and east to the Philippines.The outside is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily peelable. The inside consists of a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh, rich in vitamin C.The center contains a single glossy brown nut-like seed is slightly poisonous and should not be eaten.(Photo from WIKI)


Lychees-mixed fruit bread pudding:



You need one can of Lychees,drained of all the liquid:



You also need these, get organized and turn on the oven to 400F! That's an order!! ;D

Ingredients: 1 can of Lychees sliced into fours, 2/3 cup mixed dried fruit or mixed fresh fruit(no need to heat fresh fruit), 2/3 cup apple juice or Lychee juice, 2 cups stale brown or white bread or Bagel bits(diced), 1 tsp Cinnamon pd, 1 tsp Vanilla essence, 1 tsp Allspice pd (NOT Garam masala,click on the link), 2/3 cup half and half, 1/4 cup Demerara(Coarse) brown sugar or white sugar.
To top: 1/4 cup sweetened coconut ,lightly toasted until golden, Cream and few Lychees.

This is what you need to do to bake the bread pudding:


1. Place dried fruits in a small pan with the apple juice or Lychee juice and bring to a boil for a minute in the microwave. Pour it in a oven proof baking dish.
2. Stir in the bread pieces, allspice,cinnamon pd,vanilla essence and mix gently.Pour in the half and half over it evenly.
3. Press in the bread if they floating too much.I used 1 large raisin Bagel cut inti pieces.You can use thick cut bread.
3. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar(coarse brown sugar) or white sugar on top and bake for 25-30 minutes until firm and golden brown.
4. Take it out,sprinkle golden coconut.Serve hot or cold with some cream and Lychees on the side.Enjoy!:)

Beautiful and delicious Lychee bread pudding baked and ready to serve!!:)



A Lychee Shanty Cooler!! YAY!:))
Serves about two. Original recipe for this Shanty cooler is from here. I have changed the proportions to lot less Lychee juice.I don't like the Shanty cooler too sweet!!:)

Take:
2 cups of Lychee juice,
1 12oz can of beer,any you like chilled (I used Heineken)
And:
Combine beer & lychee juice,stir gently until well blended,pour into two glasses and voila!!:D (My husband loved it!)
Drink up but DO NOT drink and drive!!

Have fun baking. See you on Thursday!:))

60 comments:

Roopa said...

wow Asha! lychee bread pudding looks yum! Beer lychee hmm yeah heard once from my h too! great entries :) i just love lychee drinks it is one of the famous drinks here... see you bye :)

Sharmi said...

wow Asha, those two are real creative. Loved the pudding. I dont know if I can find fresh lychee. Last month they were there but wonder if they are still available.

Sia said...

i felt u will post lychee post today and i hit the target:) looks very delicious... i will show that drink post to K. i cant stand the smell or taste of any alcohal and beer tops the list. so its K's department:)
i bought fresh lychees for AFAM thinking i will cook something with it. darn thing!!! it tastes so good i didn't have a heart to cook or bake;) ~pops another lychee from fruit bowl~
cant wait to see the round up:)

Laavanya said...

They both really good Asha - I would've never thought of using Lychee in a bread pudding. The drink looks great too... very tempting indeed.

Sig said...

WOW!! I loooooove that Shanty cooler.... what a neat idea! I love beer based cocktails, I just have one on my blog now... but this is simply superb!!!! The bread pudding looks amazing too! I can't have enough of lychees, so these will be tried soon!!!! Thanks for the entries Asha, hugs to you...

archana said...

Asha you managed to make something with Lychee! I am still thinking :)
The bread pudding looks awesome and must be verrrrrrry tasty, plus it is eggless :)
Pictures are pretty. Those Shanty glasses are looking nice, but I do not drink :)Will try adding some soft drink :)

KellytheCulinarian said...

I don't know if I've ever eaten lychee, but they look delicious. I'll have to try that beverage, yum!

Anonymous said...

What a tempting bread pudding and cool cool drink. Great entry.

FH said...

Hi Roopa, I just came back from a T's dental appointment. he took so long because he booked too many people at the same time! Greedy dentists!:D
Thanks.
Arvind emptied all Lychee juice with the beer yesterday!Hahaha.Enjoy.

I tried to get the fresh ones too Sharmi,didn't find them.Then I went to Vietnamese store and bought cans and juice.Try those:)

FH said...

LOL! Sia,glad to see you here today, missed you at FH this week.
Good to see you back in your "sober" spirits!:D
Arvind likes a clod beer on a hot day,but we don't keep Alcohol that much at home usually. Yesterday ,I was frying Maddur Vadas on the deck,it was so darn humid,we needed those cold ones.!
Sig has linked a site for easy recipes or you can toss a cold salad with other fruits and drizzle some cream,that's it.Try it and send her one!:))

Thank you Laavanya. Bread pudding is flexible,you can throw in any fruit you like.Bread soaks it all up the juice and makes it perfect!Hope you try:)
Btw,I use Bagels instead of bread,tasted great.

FH said...

You are welcome Sig! When I got the lychees,I had no idea what to make.Then I found these.We loved the shanty cooler,Arvind was very happy!:D You can squeeze some lemon juice too,I forgot to add there.Enjoy.Hugs to you too, and I will see you later:)

Archana, eggless pudding are sweeter bcos of the thin juice on the bottom.Try it. You can make fruit cocktails with juice,doesn't have to be beer at all.Enjoy:)
Sig has linked a site with Lyches recipes,try one of those.

FH said...

Kelly,fresh Lychees are the best but Lychee cans and juice are available in any South east Asian store! Try the cold Shanty,you will LOVE it with a twist of lemon on top!:)

Thank you Hima.Hope you try these,really tasty.Enjoy:))

Tee said...

Lychee Bread Pudding is such a creative idea to use lychees...must be tasting really exotic! Your cooler looks good too, just that I am not a beer fan, any other replacement for that? :)

sra said...

How creative! I'd like to try the bread pudding.

Mona said...

ah litchi! that is one of my favourite fruits!

I love them !

& that juice sounds marvelous!

Seema Bhat said...

Asha, Lychee is one of my fav summer fruit. My cousin had a lychee try in her backyard and they were so tasty. he cooler is a super idea ashakka. My hubby might surely like it on a hot steaming day like today.

FH said...

Tee,thanks.I used Begel bits,so it was chunky and great to bite in!:)
You can use any combination of Juice with Lychees or mix alcohol free sparkling wine and Ginger Ale too.Enjoy:)

sra,try it.It really tasty with all fruit juice soaked up in the bread.Stale thick cut bread works well, fresh thin bread will become a mushy pudding!:D

FH said...

Mona,I think it's out of season here for fresh Litchis.But Asian stores always have those in plenty cans and cartons.Enjoy the Shanty. You can use Alcohol free Wine too to mix!:)

Seema, yesterday I was frying on the deck,believe me that Shanty was a heaven sent!:D
Make it for your hubby,I am sure he will love it in the humid evenings.It's scorching here too.
I don't remember seeing a Lychee tree ever, must try the fresh ones when in season.Hope you are ready for school,it's coming!:)

Richa said...

hey asha, that pudding looks YUM! i've the same sugar dispenser, see it a lot in all the diner's out here as well.
btw, what is in that brownish bowl in the ingredient photo, looks like dates in syrup to me? i make a similar bread pudding, but i steam it, would like to try this sooooon :)

FH said...

Hi Richa,thanks!:)
I like that diner style sugar container too,it stops poring at the the time! I always baked, never tried steamed pudding.Try this.easy too.That bowl contains dried fruits in apple juice and microwaved to soften them.Dried mixed fruits are available in the baking section.Enjoy.

Unknown said...

The lychee bread pudding to too good to resist!!!
Looks yummyyyy!!!!

SeeC said...

Very innovative Asha.
Loved your pictures.
Lychee is one of my favourite drink.

A, mama of twins said...

I have had shantys only in india but your lychee version sounds great. The bread pudding is yummy too. Started my post on lychees today.. See it soon!
A

FH said...

Thank you Cinnamon. It doesn't contain Eggs ,so great for vegetarians to!:)

Thanks Sec!:) Hope you try.We loved the Juice.Usually,carton juices are very sweet which I don't like.This was pretty tasty and lot less sweet.

FH said...

You have had Shanty before! I haven't heard of it until I made them!:)
That is good Archana! Indians are so innovative,I didn't know that.
Try the pudding, easy.I will check your new one! YAY!!:D

Viji said...

Very good yummy and tempting pudding Asha.

FH said...

Thanks Viji! No fat in that pudding too,healthy and yummy!:)
Try it.

david santos said...

I come to congratulate you with your work, very good, and to desire good vacations to you

TBC said...

That is something I have never heard of before. Lychee pudding looks good.I recently had lychees from a can & so loved it. I have never seen the fruit here... or maybe I'm not looking hard enough!

Anonymous said...

I am finding lyches in my grocery storea but didn't dare to buy them this week i couldn't see them.i loved the pudding will try.
but when i thought of lychee i didn't know what to make.u did great bye :)

Coffee said...

Where did you get this combo of bread and lychee from my dear asha!! I am sure its from this very intelligent mix of white and grey mater of yours! :)

I am gonna try it this weekend for a for guests! Thansk a lot! :)

Raaga said...

This was exactly what I had in mind... the pudding. But I made something else instead :-)

Glad we're thinking on the same lines... it can only mean that I am on the right track :-)

Thanks Asha

Anonymous said...

Lovely entry Ashaji, will show that drink to my better half! Lychee season ended and AFAM anounced! what a sad story, till the week bf4 we used to have loads of them in refrigerator! But I love to eat them fresh they are soooo yummmmmmmmm.

Lia said...

Hi am new here, u heve wonderful recipe here :)

Viji said...

Asha, you are so prompt in everything. lovely entries. Viji

FH said...

Thank you David!:)
Trying to catch a little beach getaway before the school starts for kids!

Tbc, I think fresh Lychees are out of season now. I used canned Lychees to make the pudding.Try it, canned is not bad either!:))

FH said...

Ramya,thanks. This is first time I used canned too, tastes great. Sig has linked a Lychee recipe site in her blog and I have too.There are many recipes you could try if you like!:)

LOL!!! Coffee, my grey cells works in mysterious ways!! ;D
This is fat free too, enjoy.You can add any fresh fruit mix, will be little runny I guess.But Bread soaks it all up after sometimes.Make it few hrs in advance and chill.

Srivalli said...

Asha...great dish...looks so tempting...great entry!

Hope everything is ok with you!

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

FH said...

Raaga, you are a great cook first of all and then we both come from the same place, don't we?! ;D
I can't wait to see what you made.I will check later, early morning here, just got up!:))

Lakshmi, nothing beats the taste of fresh Lychees.I went around trying to get some but ended up with cans!
Enjoy these when you get some fresh ones next time.Thanks:)

FH said...

Thank you Lia!:)
Welcome to Aroma and Foodie's hope too.Enjoy the recipes.Hope to see you back.

Hi Viji, I try my best!:)
There are so many events now, it's getting harder to catch up but I don't want to disappoint friends! Besides I enjoy the creativity to come up with something with chosen theme.It's fun!:)

FH said...

Hi Sri, thanks girl!:))
Yeah, I am doing fine.Surgery is not scheduled yet,so I am as always okay. Enjoy the pudding.

Priyanka said...

Asha the lychee bread pudding looks too guddddd.... great entries for the event.... i havent even thought of anything yet:)

FH said...

Hi Priyanka, it was great,juicy with all th fruit juice and no fat!Yippee!!:))
Check that link at the bottom,they have plenty of recipes you can choose.Hope you do! See you tomorrow at FH.

Kajal said...

WOW....Asha you say me secrete of this type of great idea my dear I never think about this type of lychee pudding....Looks very attractive.....But I love simple Lychee juice.:)

FH said...

Kajal, you can add any fruit to this pudding , so throw in some Lychees too!:)

Suma Gandlur said...

Somehow, I never had bought lychees. I never saw them in Bangalore and the lot I see here locally, makes me even not look at the stuff. They are never fresh and always with grey spots,ready to be in the garbage can.
Until recently, I thought the fruit is eaten whole as strawberries. So, never dared to buy them.
Your bread pudding with all the coconut is so inviting.

FH said...

Suma, me too! Never bought fresh ones ever! You have to peel the red prickly skin like Oranges to eat them.
Canned Lychees are sweet and tangy, juice tasted great too.Next time I see some fresh , I think I will but and see how they compare to canned!
For Pudding, you can add any fruits, fresh or dried.Try it:)

Saju said...

wowee Asha, you always have the most creative recipes. I love bread pudding, but usually only make with raisins or apricots. Lychees are a great idea. Every now and again, we can buy them fresh at the local market. We just peel the papery skin and joke about eye balls and other gruesome stuff, but they are fragrant and tasty.

FH said...

Lychees are tasty and so juicy Saju! They make the pudding so fragrant too,I loved it!:)
Hope you try.Apricots in pudding sounds great.Dried fruit mix had some in there but not that much.I will try with fresh Apricots.Thanks.Have a great weekend.Don't forget FH, salads galore this week!:))

Unknown said...

One of my favorite fruit is lychee:) and bread pudding with that is super cool :)

FH said...

Everybody seems to like Lychees!:) Enjoy the bread pudding rv,thanks.

Unknown said...

hi asha, just want to ask you if its ok, to see what code you have used to make a search box in your blog and I make one for my blog too? my google search box doesnt seem to search from my blog, just wanted to confirm it with you if its ok:)

Unknown said...

Hey doesnt matter, I got help from blogger itself. You might visit this site too, lots of information:

http://tips-for-new-bloggers.blogspot.com/2007/02/add-blogger-search-box.html

FH said...

Thanks rv, I will check that site.Yeah,that search thing was from blogger too.Glad you got it!:)

Mansi said...

Aasha, this bread pudding looks delicious!! add some starwberries to it and I'll be eating and floating in heaven!!:)

FH said...

Oh absolutely Mansi!! I love Strawberries too and imagine the color it gives the pudding too,right? Enjoy,it's so easy to make too:)

Anonymous said...

It's called a Shandy, not Shanty. :-)

Aparna Inguva said...

Aha.. Beer and lychee souds like fun... I do love lychee's icecream, the fruit and juice and never used it any other ways. I love slice of lemon in my beer, who can beat the corona+lime combo right? so I tried the lemonade beer combo , I bet this is sweeter. Awesome shall definitely give this a try
-Aparna

FH said...

Aparna, this is sweeter and little tangy too. Just another variation to try with Lychee. Yeah, I love Limey Corona too!:))

Unknown said...

hi Asha... i find your blog interesting... may i copy your recipes to my page(giving due credit of course)? please reply