7 Ways You Can Turn Your Leftover Bread Into A Delightful Dessert

Raid any refrigerator you want, you'll always find at least one packet of bread left to waste. Yes, the same ingredient that occasionally rescues our sorry faces from tormenting hours in the kitchen.

Some days it's a lazy PB&J sandwich, other days it might be a sophisticated bread- pizza and on the days when mom isn't around - make-do chapatis! Bread has been our corner food for as long as I can remember.

Plainly said, bread is a true-blue friend for breakfast, light-snacking and even late-night cravings. It's a shame there are a lot of leftovers every week. 

Here's an idea! Turn your leftover bread into the most delightful dessert at the comfort of your home. These 7 recipes will help

1. Caramel Bread Pudding

Brought to life by Flavours Of Food, this caramel bread pudding puts leftover bread to the best use possible. The recipe results in a softer than butter and yummier than ever bread dessert you wouldn't dream of refusing. 

Image Courtesy: YouTube

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar for caramel
• 4-5 slices of bread
• 1/2 litre full cream milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp custard powder
• 1/2 cup water

Recipe:

1. In a hot take 1/2 cup sugar and cook until caramelized.
2. Pour the caramelised sugar into a tin cake mould and let it sit at room temperature.
3. Now trim the sides of the bread and shred the pieces in a grinder.
4. Make a fine powder or bread crumbs and keep them aside.
5. In a hot pan add full cream milk, 1/4 cup sugar and let it boil.
6. In a separate bowl add 3 tbsp custard powder and 1/2 cup water. Mix well.
7. To the boiling milk add custard powder + water mixture and give a quick whisk.
8. Now start adding the bread crumbs little by little.
9. Keep stirring until you get a thick batter.
10. Switch off the flame and pour the batter into the tin cake mould with caramel.
11. Cover the tin mould with aluminium foil and set it aside.
12. In a large container boil 4-5 cups of water and keep a sieve container or strainer in the water.
13. On top of it place the covered tin cake mould and steam it for 15-20 minutes.
14. Bring the pudding to room temperature and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
15. Once cold, serve!

2. Chocolate Bread Pops

Easy to pop, hard to resist... these chocolate bread pops by Terrace Kitchen are as delicious as they look, and even easier to make. All you'd need are a few basic ingredients and some colourful sprinkles to brighten up this bread dessert. 

Image Courtesy: GoodtoKnow

Ingredients:

• 7 slices brown bread
• 2 tbsp salted butter - melted
• 2 tbsp Epigamia Dark Chocolate And Orange Spread
•  2-3 tsp powder sugar
• 100gm dark chocolate
• Colourful sprinkles and other toppings of your choice
• Lollipop sticks or straws or skewers

Recipe:

1. In a mixer grinder shred pieces of 7 brown bread and grind until you get a fine powder.
2. Now add 2 tbsp melted butter and mix well. Use your hands.
3. Pour 2 tbsp chocolate spread and mix until you get a nice and tight dough.
4. Add 2-3 tsp (according to your taste) powder sugar and mix well.
5. Take a small part of the dough in your hand and make round balls of even size.
6. In a separate bowl, melt 100gm dark chocolate on a double boiler.
7. Dip one end of lollipop sticks or straws or skewers in the melted chocolate and pierce the same in the chocolate ball.
8. Repeat for other chocolate balls and leave them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes until set.
9. Now dip each chocolate pop in the dark chocolate and top them with your favourite sprinkles.
10. Leave in the fridge for another 10-15 minutes and then serve!

3. Shahi Tukda

What kind of content writer would I be if I write about desserts made from bread and overlook the most Indian bread dessert of all time? Shahi tukda, also known as the dessert of nawabs, is a perfect example of how leftover bread can be put to better use. Thankful Chef Ranveer Brar share the same idea. Have a look!

Image Courtesy: WhiskAffair

Ingredients:

For Milk Syrup

• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 4-5 Saffron strands
• Pinch of Cardamom powder
• 5-8 Bread sliced
• Ghee for frying

For Instant Rabri

• Remaining Sweetened Milk
• 3/4 cup Condensed milk
• 2-4 Bread sliced, crumble
• Pinch of Saffron
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp Rosewater
• 1/2 cup Milk

For Garnish

• Saffron milk
• Rose petals
• Mint leaves
• Pistachios, blanched, slice
• Silver paper
• Icing sugar

Recipe:

Milk Syrup

1. Heat milk in a saucepot, add sugar, saffron strands and stir well. Let it boil for 2 to 5 minutes.

Combining Process

1. First, slice the crust of the bread. Cut them into triangles and keep them aside.
2. Heat ghee in a deep pan, fry the bread slices on medium heat.
3. Fry from both sides till it gets nice golden brown in colour and crisp.
4. Drain the bread slices on a paper towel.
5. Now, dip the bread slices in the milk syrup.
6. With the help of a spoon coat the bread slice evenly.
7. Arrange the milk syrup-soaked bread slices neatly in a serving tray.
8. Sprinkle some cardamom powder on top of it and keep it aside for future use.

For Instant Rabri

1. Strain the remaining sweeten milk in a deep pan, add condensed milk and stir well.
2. Add crumble bread slice, a pinch of saffron, cardamom powder, rose water and milk mix everything well.
3. Now, blend the rabri to a smooth texture and keep it for cooling.
4. Pour the rabri on the milk syrup coated bread slices evenly.
5. Keep in the refrigerator to cool.
6. Garnish with saffron milk, rose petals, mint leaves, pistachios and icing sugar.
7. Serve chilled shahi tukda.

4. Chocolate Bread Pudding

If you thought that leftover bread was nothing short of waste, then you're in for a sweet surprise. TBH, this chocolate bread pudding recipe by Sanjeev Kapoor will be enough to prove you wrong. But don't worry, it will taste amazing!

Image Courtesy: YouTube

Ingredients:

• 150 gms dark chocolate
• 8 brown bread slices
• 3 cups milk
• 2 tbsps butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 2 tbsps raisins
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 tbsp blueberry jam (or any)
• Icing sugar for dusting

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 180º C.
2. Place a round cookie cutter on each brown bread slice and cut out 8 discs.
3. Place bread discs on a baking tray and toast in the preheated oven till lightly browned.
4. Roughly chop the chocolate and melt it in a non-stick pan.
5. Add milk and butter and stir and cook till the mixture thickens. Cool for 2 minutes.
6. Break eggs into a bowl, add sugar and mix well.
7. Grease 4 ramekin moulds with butter, place 1 toasted bread disc in each mould and sprinkle some raisins.
8. Add vanilla essence to the egg mixture and mix well.
9. Add the chocolate mixture gradually and mix well.
10. Put 1 tbsp blueberry jam in each mould, cover with remaining toasted discs and pour some chocolate mixture over them.
11. Roughly chop remaining bread slices and put them equally into the ramekin moulds, sprinkle a few raisins and pour the remaining chocolate mixture.
12. Place the moulds in a baking tray, fill it with sufficient water, place it in preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes.
13. Remove the moulds from the water bath and rest for 15 minutes.
14. Cool it down to room temperature, dust icing sugar on top and serve immediately.

5. Kiwi Bread Halwa

Gooey bread, the freshness of kiwi, goodness of nuts and warmth of halwa, if there's a dish worthy of leftover bread, it's this one right here. 

Image Courtesy: NDTV Food

Ingredients:

• 5 Kiwis
• 8 Brown bread slices
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp cashew nuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp almonds, chopped
• 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped
• 1 tsp green cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup khoya/mawa, grated

Recipe:

1. Peel and roughly chop kiwi fruits.
2. Transfer into a hand blender jar and blend into a purée.
3. Heat a non-stick pan, add sugar and kiwi purée and cook, stirring, till the mixture thickens.
4. Toast the bread slices and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
5. Heat ghee in another non-stick pan, add cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios and raisins and sauté lightly.
6. Add cardamom powder to the kiwi mixture and mix well. Add the bread pieces and mash while mixing.
7. Add milk and khoya and cook well. Add the sautéed nuts along with the ghee and mix well.
8. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve.

6. Bread Ras Malai

A modern spin to the good ol' ras malai is another bread-based miracle you're going to witness today. It's a super-easy Indian dessert that you can make at home which is also healthy. You can thank me later. 

Image Courtesy: Masala Korb

Ingredients:

• 4 cups full cream milk
• 1 cup condensed milk/milkmaid
• 2 tbsp saffron milk
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 5 tbsp chopped dry fruits (pistachios, almonds, cashews)
• 5 slices bread

Recipe: 

7. Grilled Chocolate Sandwich

Hot and crispy on the outside, chocolatey and warm on the inside! Here's Alice Medrich's (a baker and cookbook author) rendition of a sweet-salty love affair made better by some leftover bread.

Image Courtesy: food52

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 4 slices firm white sandwich bread
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1 pinch Coarse sea salt (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Recipe:

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread generously.
2. In a skillet big enough to hold them, cook the slices butter side down over medium heat, just until pale gold on one side.
3. Cover two of the slices with chocolate. Flip a naked slice on top, butter side up.
4. Cook, turning the sandwiches as necessary until the chocolate is softened and the sandwiches are browned on both sides.
5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt or a dusting of cinnamon sugar, if you like.

When life gives you bread, make a dessert!