“Self love requires strength.”
More often than not, my mind is constantly buzzing. Buzzing with new ideas, to do lists, what to do later on, what to do tomorrow, what to meal prep, what needs to get done etc etc. Sometimes it is challenging to simply slow down and just take a moment for myself. In those moments, when I am able to slow down, ideas permeate. That is when I am able to operate at my highest frequency, when there is calm around me. But how do you bring some calm into your life, in this touch and go environment we live in? Well, it all depends on what helps you to slow down. Recently, I have been practicing the art of meditation. It is truly something each of us should try daily. PSA alert.
An idea popped into my head in one of those slow down moments. I wanted to build & create a tres leches rasmalai concoction. Rasmalai is traditionally a Bengali dessert. The two main components of rasmalai are: flattened balls of chenna and a thickened milk mixture. This recipe incorporates the thickened milk mixture, along with the traditional spices found in rasmalai and combines that with three milks (aka tres leches). It just felt right to whip together rasmalai and tres leches flavors and pour onto a soft, buttery brioche loaf! Bam … and you now have a fancy brunch idea, with little to moderate effort!
Oh and the best part??? This bread pudding is baked in a cupcake pan! Oh the fanciness! Individual portions = perfect for entertaining. And even better for brunch!
Last but not least, these baddies are topped off with a sweetened condensed milk glaze. Bet you can’t just have one!
PS: the yellowy/orangey tint is due to the saffron! No filter required.
Tres Leches Rasmalai Bread Pudding Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk 2%
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp Saffron
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 14.1 oz package Euro Classic braided brioche loaf wholefoods, cut into 1 inch squares
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk need 1/2 cup for batter and reserve rest for glaze
- 3 large eggs
Glaze:
- Remainder of sweetened condensed milk keep in can
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the cavities of a cupcake pan and set aside.
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Over medium heat, mix together milk and evaporated milk. Let heat up for 2-3 mins. Next stir in saffron (crumble the saffron with your hands as you stir it in, this breaks apart the strands), cardamom powder, nutmeg, sugar and vanilla extract. Raise heat slightly and continue to stir until mixture comes to rapid boil (takes about 3-5 mins) and then remove from heat. Pour mixture into a large bowl and let cool in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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While milk mixture is cooling, start to slice the brioche loaf into slices first. Then cut each slice into cubes or squares. Place bread pieces into a baking dish.
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Remove cooled milk mixture from the fridge and stir in 1/2 cup of the sweetened condensed milk. Next, crack 3 eggs in a measuring cup and whisk whisk whisk. Add the eggs to the cooled milk mixture. Making sure to stir well.
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Pour batter over bread pieces. Gently toss with a spoon to coat evenly. Let soak for 5 minutes.
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Distribute bread pudding amongst the cavities of the cupcake pan. No need to pack it in, just simply take a spoon full at a time and fill up the cupcake cavities.You can fill it all the way up. You may have some batter left over. I discarded the left over batter since there was egg in it, but make sure to scrape up the saffron before doing so. Bake for 20 – 23 minutes or until slightly golden brown. There shouldn’t be any excess liquid. * If you prefer a softer/soggy texture, bake for 15-17 minutes.
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For glaze: Stir in cardamom and nutmeg into the sweetened condensed milk can. Mix well. Dip a fork into the can, and drizzle the glaze over the bread pudding cups.
Recipe Notes
- For brioche loaf I found at Whole Foods: click here
- If you prefer a more of a soggy bread pudding texture, bake for 15-17 minutes. I like it a little more well done so I baked for around 20-23 minutes.
