Challah Bread Pudding & Pomegranate Gelato with Hazelnut Crunch

Continuing on from the previous post of Cinnamon n' Pomegranate-Craisin Challah, here is the recipe for the bread pudding made using the challah as well as the pomegranate gelato served alongside the individual puddings. For the bread pudding, I went with a simple custard, but decided a little surprise of Nutella in the center would be a great touch. The bread pudding was creamy and decadent, and a sprinkle of pomegranate arils on top added a nice crunch.

The gellato I paired the bread pudding with was absolutely delicious. It is a very basic recipe that I cooked, chilled, and churned in my ice cream maker. To top it, I candied some hazelnuts to echo the flavor of the nutella in the bread pudding. They also added a contrasting texture to the smooth gellato. The pomegranate juice made it a bit tart, but it was sweet quite sweet and tasted like velvet. 

Challah Bread Pudding with Nutella 

and Pomegranate Gelato with Hazelnut Crunch

Bread Pudding:

1/2 loaf of Cinnamon n' Pomegranate Cranberries Challah

8 tbsp. Nutella, divided

1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 c. whole milk

2 c. half and half

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Cut bread into 1 cm cubes, fill ramekins half full.

Spoon 1 tbsp. nutella into each ramekin, then top with additional bread.

In a large measuring cup, whisk sugar, eggs, milk, half and half and vanilla.

Pour equal amounts into each ramekin, press bread down, and continue to add until all of the bread is saturated.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-12 hours.

Preheat oven to 350*

Place ramekins on a baking sheet, place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, until set in the center and cooked through. 

Sprinkle with pomegranate arils and serve with pomegranate gelato.

Pomegranate Gelato

from Epicurious, makes One Quart

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. whole milk

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice

1/3 c. pomegranate liquor (I used amaretto)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Whisk together cream, milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy sauce pot.

Bring to a boil and continue to whisk for two minutes over medium-high heat.

Remove from burner, whisk in pomegranate juice, liquor and lemon juice.

Fill a large bowl with ice, set a medium sized bowl inside, pour gelato mixture into medium bowl and whisk to chill quickly. 

Place mixture in the refrigerator for an hour to chill completely.

Add gellato to an ice cream maker, churn for half an hour.

Scoop into a plastic quart container and place in the freezer for at least one hour.

Serve with candied hazelnuts and pomegranate arils.

Blueberry-Pomegranate Yogurt Ice Pops

I've seen countless ice cream recipes on other blogs that leave me craving the sweet, creamy deliciousness... but when I scan through the ingredient list and see cream, half and half, egg yolks, sugar... I just can't do it.  I know if I have a batch of homemade ice cream, there will be zero self-control. So I like to indulge by getting a scoop when I'm out every now and then... and leave my homemade concoctions on the healthier side. 

I recently received a package of POM Wonderful Pomegranate-Blueberry juice to review. The POM Wonderful people are always so generous, and I am more than happy to enjoy the juice in a mocktail (club soda, splash of juice and a lime). However, I was craving ice cream, and had this juice at my disposal, so I figured I'd make a healthy, icy treat! 

These ice pops were so simple, healthy and delicious. In the future, I might use vanilla yogurt rather than plain because the juice is fairly tart, so the ice pops we sweet, but quite tart. These ice pops come in around 30 calories a pop (they're about the size of a dixie cup). They filled my homemade, cool, sweet treat void without breaking the calorie bank! 

Blueberry-Pomegranate Yogurt Ice Pops

8 oz. POM Wonderful Blueberry-Pomegranate Juice

1 c. plain or vanilla yogurt

1/2 pint blueberries

Whisk together juice and yogurt in a pourable measuring cup. 

Place straws in the center of ice pop molds, place 5-6 blueberries around the stick to hold it up.

Pour about 1/4 c. juice mixture into each mold.

Place in the freezer for 2+ hours, or until solid.

Makes 8 ice pops.

Lowfat Cherry Mint Ice Cream

I love mint chocolate chip ice cream, and I love cherry, so I thought I'd combine the two since mint is a major Michigan product. I wasn't sure if I wanted to mince the mint and put it right in the ice cream for textural reasons, but it was actually really good!
Next time I might put in whole leaves and pull them out at the end, or steep the mint in the cream for flavor, but it was good how it was!

Low Fat Cherry Mint Ice Cream

2 c. skim milk
1/4 c. non fat 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 c. nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp. minced mint leaves
1/2 c. frozen black cherries, chopped
1/4 c. sugar or 2 tbsp. splenda sugar blend.


Mix all ingredients, add to ice cream maker and churn for 20 minutes.

Raspberry Chip Fro Yo

One of Cincinnati's claims to fame is Graeter's Ice Cream. They have an amazing flavor, Rasberry Chip, Chocolate Ice cream with giant chocolate chunks and raspberries. I love it, but it's very high in fat and calories. I decided to give it a try in my frozen yogurt maker. I might tweak it a bit next time, but it was very good!

Raspberry Chip Frozen Yogurt

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/4 c. splenda-sugar blend

1/2 c. skim milk

1 1/2 c. nonfat vanilla yogurt

2 tbsp. mini semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 c. frozen raspberries

Whisk cocoa powder, sugar, and milk in a bowl until combined. Add yogurt, fold in to combine. Add to ice cream maker, churn for 25 minutes. Add raspberries and chocolate chips. Gently fold in, serve.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

My husband and I have become Fro Yo snobs, because we only like fresh. Almost every night, I churn out a batch for us. Organic Raspberries were on sale, so I went with them. Also, the mint in my Aerogarden is harvestable, so I added a few leaves for a pop of freshness.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

(Serves 2)

2 tsp. sugar or splenda

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 c. skim milk

1 1/2 c. fat free vanilla yogurt

1//4 c. raspberries

Mint and extra berries, for garnish

Whisk sugar, vanilla and milk for a minute until sugar is dissolved. Add yogurt, stir well. Pour into ice cream maker. Add in raspberries while it churns, about 20 minutes. Garnish with extra raspberries and mint.

Very Berry Fro Yo

This frozen yogurt is so good. It's sweet and tart, healthy and satisfying, and full of berries! The original recipe was in the recipe book that came with my ice cream maker, but I changed it a bit to make it healthier. Enjoy!

Very Berry Fro Yo

1/2 c skim milk

1/4 c. sugar

5 c. fat free vanilla yogurt

1 c. frozen mixed berries

1 c. finely diced strawberries

1 tsp. almond extract

Whisk milk and sugar in a mixing bowl for a minute. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well. Add to ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes. I like to eat it as is, a bit soft. Keep in the freezer for 2 hours to harden.

I love Watermelon!

I had watermelon italian ice a few years ago, and hadn't seen it since. I knew as soon as I got the ice cream maker I'd have to make watermelon sorbet. This was just as good as I had hoped it would be! Extremely refreshing and delicious!

Watermelon Sorbet

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. water

6 c. pureed watermelon

1 tbsp. corn syrup

Juice of 1 lime

In a small saucepan, boil water and sugar until dissolved. Mix all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and chill for 2 hours.

Add to ice cream maker mixing bowl and mix for 25 minutes.

I eat this right out of the ice cream maker, but it's good frozen long as well.

Too much chocolate?

My wonderful husband finally got me a great birthday present - an Ice Cream Maker! My birthday isn't until Wednesday, but he was too excited to give it to me. This sorbet was in the recipe book that came with the ice cream maker. It's VERY chocolate-y, but still delicious!

Dark Chocolate Sorbet

4 c. water

1 2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 c. cocoa powder

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Combine water and sugars in a saucepan over medium heat. Summer for 2 minutes until sugars dissolve. Transfer to a mixing bowl, stir in vanilla and chill for 2 hours.

Turn on ice cream maker, add mixture to mixing bowl, churn for 25 minutes.

Freeze for 2 hours, or eat as it comes out if you like it softer.