Chocolate Surprise Bread Pudding
Course: dessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutesI love this recipe. It was given to me at a bridal shower over 20 years ago and it is still a family and friend favorite. I love making this in individual ramekins and serving it on decorative plates. This dessert can be made in the morning and reheated right before serving.
It is a delight because when served, you don’t know that there is melted chocolate at the bottom! Your spoon enters the delicious hot bread pudding and out comes some chocolate. It is such a divine dessert and a little goes along way. I like to use rum, but when I have used Grand Mariner, I add some orange zest as garnish before serving. It adds color and a kick of fresh orange to cut through the sweetness.
Ingredients
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar1 Tablespoon Rum, Grand Mariner, or Kahlua (I like Rum the best)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
2 cups firmly packed stale croissant cubes cut into 1/2 inch about 2 medium croissants
Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- Make sure the racks in the oven are in the middle. Preheat the oven to 350. Set out 4 8oz ramekins and a baking pan that can fit all the ramekins inside.
- Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, half and half, sugar, rum, vanilla, and kosher salt in a medium bowl or a large measuring cup.
- Put 1/4 cup of the chips in each ramekin. Divide the stale croissant cubes evenly among the ramekins. Pour 3/4 of the egg mixture in each ramekin. Let sit for 20 minutes.
- Place the baking dish on a rimmed cookie sheet. Pour boiling water into the baking dish filling about an inch high. Set the ramekins gently and safely into the water bath and cover with foil. Poke a few holes to allow the steam to escape. Bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake another 20 minutes when the custard is set. A knife inserted to the center should not come out clean but slightly coated with a thick custard that is half set. Remove pan from oven and carefully remove each ramekin to rest on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
- These puddings can be made 8 hours ahead of time, keep in a cool location but do not refrigerate. Just before serving, cover puddings with foil and reheat in a 375 oven for about 15-20 minutes until quite warm. No need for water bath when reheating.
- I buy croissants and cut them into what I need then allow them to sit out for a day or two. If stuck and needing to make now, you can always toast the croissant cubes in a 275 oven on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, allow to cool then go ahead.
