Monday, April 20, 2009

****Chocolate Bread Pudding



It wasn't easy with so many great choices to choose from, however this sweet thing had just the right ring.  I love bread and I love chocolate. Bread and chocolate. Wasn't that a movie? Easily, this could be my one meal to take to a desert (or dessert!) island. Luxurious.

For years, frugal homemakers saved leftover stale bread and moistened the cut up bite sized bread with egg, milk and sugar. A thrifty way to use up yesterday's bread. So, first the bread. Home made, or good quality bakery brioche. Additionally,  I noticed on the P&Qs, challah, croissants, doughnuts and cinnamon rolls were creative choices for this as well. Wow, I want to try them all.



For the chocolate, semi sweet is the way to go. To get great flavor and value, Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% dark chocolate is where I put my money. Cube the bread, moisten and soak with the pudding mixture. Bake.

Thanks for baking along with me this week. Also, Upper East Side is moving.....I'm heading west to the Upper West Side. Name is changed to A Baking Blog. See you now and see you then.

Four-Star Chocolate Bread Pudding


Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours
By Dorie Greenspan

12 ounces bread (brioche, challah or white), preferably stale
1/2 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cherries (optional)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cram
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

GETTING READY:

Have a 9-x-13 inch baking pan at hand (a Pyrex pan is perfect here), as well as a roasting pan big enough to hold the baking pan and how water.  Line the roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes.  It the bread is stale, put it and the raisins or cherries, if you are using them, into the baking pan.  If it is not stale, spread it out on a a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat and bake in a 350-degree-F oven to "stale" it for 10 minutes, then toss into the pan (with the fruit).

Bring the milk and cream just to a boil.

Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.   Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolks an d sugar together in a bow.  Still whisking, slowly drizzle in about one quarter of the hot milk mixture--this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle.  Whisking all the while slowly pour in the rest of the hot milk.  Add the chocolate and whisk it in gently until it is melted and the custard is smooth.   Rap the bowl against the counter to pop bubbles that might have formed, then pour the custard over the bread and press the bread gently with the back of a spoon to help cover it with liquid.  Leave the pan on the counter, giving the bread the back-of-the-spoon treatment now and then, for 30 minutes.

GETTING READY TO BAKE:  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. F.  

Slide the pan setup into the oven and very carefully pour enough how water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding pan.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the pudding is uniformly puffed, the top is dull and dry and a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean.   Transfer the baking pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

51 comments:

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Great pick, Lauren, and I love how your pudding turned out. Simple, warm, comforting, but with an edge of sophistication, don't you think? Good job making your own brioche, too (Dorie's recipe, I see!) I love TJ's chocolate - I used it for next week's chocolate cream pie.

Congrats on your move - real and virtual.
Nancy

Mary Ann said...

Wondeful pick this week. I was so, so happy when I saw it on the recipe rotation. I loved it. Your's turned out beautifully. Thanks again!

Jin Hooi said...

Thanks for choosing the recipe and your pudding looks great !!

farah said...

What a great pick, i love bread pudding :)

Anonymous said...

I've often heard about making bread pudding with donuts, but cinnamon rolls? YUM! Thanks for choosing this one!

LyB said...

Your bread pudding turned out fantastic! What a great pick this week, thanks so much. :)

Teanna said...

Good luck on your move! Thanks for the awesome pick! I never liked bread pudding, but I do now!

Michelle said...

Bread pudding is one of our favorites. Thanks for picking it this week for TWD.

Isabelle Lambert said...

merci pour le choix de cette recette ( même si je l'ai déclinée )! ta photo est superbe :)

Steph said...

Thanks for a cool pick!

vibi said...

Thanks you Lauren for a great pick this week!

What courage you had... baking your own bread for the pudding! Two thumbs up!

April said...

Thank you for this pick! Bread pudding is my favorite dessert!

dorie said...

Both your brioche and pudding look perfect! Good luck on your move. I'm an Upper West Sider - have been for years -- it's a great place to live.

Heather said...

Love the pick, Lauren! Thanks!

Kimberly Johnson said...

I have never had bread pudding, so this was a first for me! Thanks for the pick Lauren! Your bread pudding looks wonderful!

Anonymous said...

I loved this! Great pick.

Dishin And Dishes said...

This might be the bread pudding I actually like...I may try this! Thanks for the pick this week!

Anonymous said...

Wow! I can't believe you baked your own bread! Brave lady : ) Thanks for picking this recipe and cograts on the move!

AmyRuth said...

Congrats Lauren on your pick this week. That's so fun that you're going to the UWS!!! How did you ever snag that BakingBlog Title. That is a huge fete I would think. Way to go! Thanks for such a fun week. I don't have a TJ's in my university town so I used Callebaut 1/2 70% and 1/2 60% bittersweet. I thought it was more intense when chilled. So I liked it.
AmyRuth

Anonymous said...

We enjoyed the pick! Your bread pudding and bread both look wonderful!

Carla said...

I wish I had a Trader Joe's near me. Well, there is one about 45 minutes away, but I'm never out that way.

Thanks for picking the bread pudding this week! It made a lovely Easter dessert.

Cate O'Malley said...

This week's TWD is killing me - love bread pudding!

Pamela said...

Thanks for choosing this recipe. It's definitely one I would have skipped were it not for TWD. Yours look terrific, too!

Megan said...

Awesome choice - and you're making me wish I still lived in Manhattan...

Eliana said...

This was a great pick Lauren. Just came across your blog for the first time and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Emily Rose said...

thanks for the recipe pick!

carol peterman said...

I really enjoyed making and eating this recipe! Your pudding and bread looks fabulous!

Audrey said...

Thanks, Lauren, for a great pick! ...and I completely forgot to look for chocolate at Trader Joe's (DUH!)

Kayte said...

Please don't take it personally, but I didn't make your lovely choice this week...it's my birthday today, I don't like chocolate at all, and so I switched out the recipe to Dorie's French Lemon Cream Tart that the group made before I joined! I hope you got to make that as it was so good! I think your choice was a big hit with the other bloggers!

Anonymous said...

i feel like i have been ripped off! i grew up on bread pudding, but NEVER with chocolate... raisins was about as fancy as it got!
will be trying this ASAP

Peggy said...

Thanks for choosing this! We loved it. Delicious and easy to make. Can't beat that combination.

doughmesstic said...

Thanks for getting me out of my comfort zone - this was a neat choice that I would never have made on my own!

Engineer Baker said...

What an awesome pick - I was totally not expecting to like it, but WOW. Absolutely awesome.

Erin said...

Thanks for a great pick this week! I really enjoyed it!

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you chose this. I loved it.

What's for Supper? said...

This is insanely good! Great choice.

Amber Marie said...

Thanks for picking this! Yours looks great.

Unknown said...

Thanks for a great pick Lauren! I never would have made this on my own but I'm so glad I tried it. I'm a bread pudding convert :)

Amanda said...

Thanks for picking it! I have always wanted to do bread pudding so your choice finally pushed me to try it. I thought it was good but will leave out the raisens next time!

Katrina said...

Great pick as I've never had or made bread pudding and now I like it! I really liked the orange flavored chocolate I used and I also added some almonds. Great flavor. It was better than I thought it would be. Thanks!

Chris said...

Great pick Lauren - I'm loving it better every day (straight outta the fridge with a fork in hand!)

Question is - did you like it??

Good luck with your upcoming move.

Leslie said...

Thanks, Lauren, this was an amazing pick! We lvoed it and I agree, there are now a lot of flavor combos I want to try after reading what our fellow bloggers did. I hope your move is smooth and easy!

AmyRuth said...

Hi Lauren,
You asked me about the churrios in Mexico? ha ha I walked right by the little street vendors. They are always on 5th Ave. I do so love that hot and pwdrd sugar treat. however this trip I really ate fairly healthily. Even in Mexico. Lots of fish and it was yummy. Thanks again for a fine week. Smooth sailing to you.
AmyRuth

Jaime said...

thanks for picking this - i enjoyed trying a different kind of bread pudding :)

Linda said...

This was a fantastic choice! It was the perfect comfort food and totally devoured at our house.

Kayte said...

I just finished reading the little ditty about you on the TWD site and chuckled when I read what your favorite dessert was...the French Lemon (Orange) Cream Tart...honestly, I did NOT know this when I picked that as my alternate rule-breaking choice this week for my birthday...LOL. It was meant to be!

TeaLady said...

Guess we will see you in your new home. This was a good pick, Lauren. I did finally make it today after making the challah. But I have to say as much as I LOVE bread pudding, this one just wasn't for me. Glad most of the bakers, including you, liked it tho'.

Juliana said...

Wow, the bread pudding looks delicious...with chocolate! Great looking dessert.

Jenn said...

Hi, this week on my site Collectors' Quest I am featuring people who collect cookie jars. I figured since you wrote so much about baked goods (sometimes cookies!) that you'd like to check it out: http://www.collectorsquest.com/featured-week/Cookie+Jars.html

h said...

I just made this again for a second time, this time, with photos!

Delicious as always. And simple, too.

Compliance Hong Kong said...

I cooked it at home once, it was not good. But I will try your recipe. I hope I will make good this time.