Easy Toasted Bread Dessert

It is really hard to please everyone, but "Never stop trying," they say. Well, I happened to make a light and terrific dessert which made every single person who tried it the most delighted. So, on demand, I wanted to share the recipe with you. 

The original dessert is called 'ekmek kadayifi/bread dessert' in Turkey which is one of those Turkish specialties most people would feel thrilled to eat. It has a cake base which itself is a simple and moist sponge and it is bathed in  syrup that makes it really special. It is always served with Turkish sweet whipped cream turning it into something  absolutely delicious and perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

The one I made is a simpler version of the original recipe that's why it is named 'fake bread dessert', 'easy bread dessert' or even 'rusk dessert'. Here comes the recipe. 

Ingredients

for the base:
9-12 plain rusks (biscottes) - go for the ones with no salt 

or

left- over bread - 9-12 slices

for the syrup:

1 ½ cup sugar

2 cups boiling water

for the milk pudding:

1 litre milk

70 grams rice flour 

8-10 level tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

*Always start with a clean pan and utensils, as any dirt or debris can cause crystals to form around it.

Step 1: Prepare the base

*If you use rusks, place them in a deep dish pan/tray.  *If you want to use bread, then 1. Turn your oven on to 350°F. 2. Slice the bread thinly and lay the slices flat on the oven racks.  3. Continue to bake until all the pieces are golden brown. 4. Place them in a deep dish pan/tray.

Step 2: Prepare the syrup 1. In a heavy-bottom, high-sided saucepan cook the sugar over low to medium-low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it gets darker. Watch the changing of the color carefully, it can go past the light brown stage quickly and burn. 2. When sugar reaches a uniform golden brown (light amber) color, add the water but this should be done very carefully, as the water will hiss and sputter. Add the water at the edge of the pan, slowly, and stirring as it is added. 3. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture just begins to simmer. It will turn to a clear liquid. 4. After the sugar dissolves and syrup is simmering, cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, without stirring and remove from heat.  5. Pour it evenly over the rusks/slices of bread.  Let them soak up all the syrup. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding.

Step 3: Prepare the pudding

1. Mix sugar, rice flour and vanilla in a small bowl.  2.Transfer the mixture into a medium saucepan and add in milk.  3. Stir constantly over medium heat until it boils.  4. Add the butter and continue stirring.  5. Keep simmering for another 3-4 minutes.  6.Remove from heat and pour the pudding onto the rusks/slices of bread. Spread it with a spatula. 7. Let it cool down completely in room temperature and then refrigerate it.

Step 4: Top with sweet whipped cream

After the pudding gets completely cold, get some sweet whipped cream ready for the last layer. I don't like whipped cream very much so I just spread a very thin layer of it over the pudding. If you love it, feel free to use it as much as you like. 

Step 5: Garnish the dessert

Use any kind of nuts, fresh berries, cinnamon, chocolate sauce, etc. to garnish your bread dessert. I chose walnuts this time.