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!:))