Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mother's out there. Recently, while at our country home in Starlight, my mother-in-law Carmen mentioned that she was craving bread pudding. I told her that I never had bread pudding that I would make her some. So in honor of Carmen, I made this special recipe.
CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING INGREDIENTS
2 cups of heavy cream
2 cups half-n-half
16 cups of bread cut into cubes (I chose a mix of sourdough & chocolate babka)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
6 eggs blended
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp of vanilla
8 oz. of bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup of raisins or dried cranberries (if desired)
Heat oven to 325. Grease a 13 x 9 pan, coating all sides.
In a large bowl, mix heavy cream & half-n-half together. In a separate bowl, mix sugars and cocoa powders together. Combine both bowls & whisk until well-blended.
In a separate bowl, blend eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Once blended, add all ingredients to the liquid/egg mixture. Add chocolate and raisins to the mixture and blend well.
Pour mixture over the bread evenly and let soak for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Bake for 1 hour or until all liquid is absorbed. Let rest for 10 minutes.
FRESH ORANGE ZEST WHIPPED CREAM INGREDIENTS
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tbsp of granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp of vanilla
1 tbsp of orange zest (fresh)
Blend all ingredients in an electric mixing bowl or with a hand-mixer until soft peaks form.
Serve chocolate bread pudding warm with whipped cream topping. Enjoy and ChowDown.
