This dark chocolate bread pudding recipe is evil with a capital “E”, but, it is really delicious. You can substitute the dark with white chocolate in the bread pudding, if desired!
I made it for a friend's 50th birthday party.
I made a white chocolate and raspberry sauce to go with it, but, I am sure it would also taste good with a blackberry sauce, or, you could even layer berries in the pudding itself, if you wanted to.
PUDDING RECIPE HELP
INSTRUCTIONS AND INGREDIENTS
STEP I: MAKE THE DARK CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
DARK CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
INGREDIENTS
1 loaf French bread sliced, cubed and dried in warm oven (do not toast); dry in a 225 degree F oven for about 35 minutes NOTE: I used bread left-over from the Brioche a Tete Recipe.
8 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
pinch of salt
10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
NOTES:
Weigh the amount you need. Then, with a large sharp knife, chop the dark chocolate in evenly sized pieces, and place it in a heat-proof bowl.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven and prepare the ramekins:
1. Position an oven shelf to the middle and preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. (yes, 275 degrees F)
2. Butter 11-12 six-ounce ramekins or baking pan and set aside, till ready to use.
Make sure your ramekins or baking pan pan will fit inside a larger roasting pan for later baking in a water bath. Have the larger roasting pan set aside, as well.
KELLY SAYS: I once had to make 60 servings for a party, so I used foil roasting pans for each recipe.
Make the bread pudding mixture:
1. Put dried bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
KELLY SAYS: You need to use a large bowl, because you will be adding the custard mixture to the bread, later on.
2. Melt the chopped dark chocolate over pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, till all the chocolate is almost melted.
Do not let simmering water touch the bottom of the bowl, or you will scorch the chocolate or let water get into it or else it will seize.
Take from the heat and stir until the chocolate is fully melted. Set aside to let cool to tepid (body temperature).
3. In another large heat proof bowl, add yolks, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cream, milk and salt and whisk to combine.
4. Heat cream mixture over a double boiler, under simmering water, whisking the whole time, till it feels warm to the touch.
Do not let simmering water touch the bottom of the bowl, or you will scorch the cream.
5. Carefully remove the warm cream mixture from the heat, and add the warm chocolate mixture to it. Whisk to combine.
NOTE: The chocolate and cream mixture MUST be at the same temperature, otherwise, the chocolate will seize or clump. And, the chocolate must be molten, too.
If the cream mixture is a little warmer, you can add in a few large spoonfuls of it to the warm chocolate and then, stir, before adding both back into the cream mixture.
6. Pour the chocolate / cream mixture over the bread cubes, reserved in the other bowl.
Mix the two together, preferably with your hands, so that the bread does smush and mash together. Reach down into the bowl and make sure the bread is evenly coated with the chocolate / cream mixture; you do not want any dry spots to appear in your bread pudding.
7. Let mixture set for 20 minutes, so the bread absorbs the custard and is evenly moistened.
8. Ladle the mixture evenly into each prepared ramekin, almost to its rim.
NOTE: Make sure to add some of the liquid custard along with the soaked bread cubes in each one.
9. Cover each one with greased-side down foil, tightly crimping it to the edge of each ramekin.
NOTE: The foil cannot hang over the sides of the pan. When set in a waterbath, and the foil edges touch the water, it can wick the water up into your pudding, ruining it.
10. Place each filled ramekin in the larger roasting pan.
Prepare the waterbath and bake the bread pudding:
1. Prepare hot water. Add hot water to the roasting pan stocked with the filled ramekins. The water should be half way up the side of your baking dishes.
2. Pull out the oven shelf half-way and carefully place the water-filled roasting pan, with the bread pudding filled ramekins, on it.
And, gently push the shelf back into the oven and shut the door.
2. Bake for 1 hour.
3. After one hour, remove the foil. If the center of the pudding is fairly firm, and there are no liquid showing, take the foil off, and continue to bake the pudding for 15 more minutes.
NOTE: If the pudding is very soft and still liquid in the center, replace the foil and bake for 10 more minutes. After that, remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes.
4. When done, carefully remove the individual ramekins from the oven and set each one on a wire cake rack to cool. The bread pudding is best served warm.
When the water-filled roasting pan has cooled in the turned-off oven, remove.
TO UNMOLD
Unmold the individual serving (by running a knife around the edge of the ramekin), or cut square portions, from the large pan of baked pudding, and place it on a serving plate.
STORAGE
For long terms storage, refrigerate the bread pudding in its ramekin, covered with plastic wrap, for about 3 – 5 days.
To reheat, let sit out of refrigeration for an hour. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place all of the ramekins on a baking sheet, and cover with foil.
Heat for about 15 mins or until just warm in the center.
Optionally, microwave on 50% power for about 1 to 2 minutes until JUST warm – do not over do it, otherwise the recipe will become rubbery.
STEP II: MAKE THE WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Makes enough for 11 – 12 six-ounce ramekins
After making, this needs to be kept warm to use for serving.
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces white chocolate, good quality, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
NOTE:
Weigh the amount you need. Then, with a large sharp knife, chop the white chocolate in evenly sized pieces, and place it in a heat-proof bowl.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler over previously simmering water, stirring all the time, till all the chocolate is melted.
Do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, or you will scorch the chocolate or let water get into it or else it will seize.
Set aside to let cool to tepid (body temperature).
2. Heat the 1/2 cup of cream in a sauce pan, or in the microwave in a microwave proof-bowl, till it is warm.
Do NOT let the cream boil or get HOT.
3. Add the warm cream to the chocolate and whisk gently, till combined.
NOTE: Both the chocolate and the cream must be at the same warm temperature to combine properly. If the cream is colder than the chocolate,
the chocolate will seize and clump.
4. Keep sauce warm, and serve it over the warm bread pudding. I put the sauce in a crock pot, on “keep warm” and let the guests ladle it on.
STORAGE
For long term storage, keep refrigerated for about 5 days. rewarm on top of a double boiler over simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the
pan containing the recipe, above.
STEP III: MAKE THE RED RASPBERRY SAUCE
RED RASPBERRY SAUCE
Makes about 1/2 cup
INGREDIENTS
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons sugar, more if needed depending on tartness of the berries
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of cold water
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place berries in a nonreactive saucepan and heat on low until the berries start to break down.
2. Pour berries into a fine strainer and push them trough the strainer to remove the seeds.
Discard the seeds.
3. Pour the strained berries back into the saucepan.
Add 2 tablespoons sugar to the berries and stir to combine. Taste to see if it is sweet enough. If not, add more sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time and stir to combine.
Bring sauce to a simmer over low heat.
4. Add 1/2 of the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly.
Simmer sauce on low heat for 1 minute. If the sauce is thick enough, do NOT add the rest of the cornstarch mixture.
If it is still very runny, add a little more of the cornstarch mixture, stirring, and simmer for an additional minute.
Remember that it will thicken more upon cooling.
5. Spoon sauce into a storage bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap on its surface and set aside until serving time.
STORAGE
For long term storage, refrigerate for a couple of days.
STEP IV: PLATE AND SERVE THE BREAD PUDDING
The bread pudding is best served warm.
NOTE: To reheat, let sit out of refrigeration for an hour. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place all of the ramekins on a baking sheet, and cover with foil.
Heat for about 15 minutes or until just warm in the center.
Optionally, microwave on 50% power for about 1 to 2 minutes until JUST warm – do not over do it, otherwise the recipe will become rubbery.
If you really want to gild the lily, pour a pool of the warm white chocolate sauce on a dessert plate.
Unmold the individual serving (by running a knife around the edge of the ramekin), or cut square portions, from the large pan of baked pudding, and place it on the sauce.
Add some drops of raspberry sauce on the edge of the white chocolate sauce, and pull a toothpick through the center of the drops, creating heart shapes.
Place a dollop of whipped cream on the pudding and garnish with chocolate shavings.
