Chocolate Bread Pudding w/ Caramelized Sugar

Isn't fall the perfect time to bake a bread pudding? I think so.

You can use stale bread and just mix in heavy cream and lots of eggs to make a nice custard....flavor with chocolate or raisins or bourbon.
The possibilities are endless.

For my first fall dinner party I decided on Suzanne Goin's recipe from Sunday Suppers at Lucques.
Her recipes are always excellent.

Notice my husband caramelizing the sugar with his commercial blow torch!



I don't have a kitchen blow torch for creme brulee, but this did the trick!
You can also put the casserole under the broiler for a minute, but she warns not to curdle the custard.

I used double the amount of bread slices because Ms. Goin called for only 5, because she likes more custard than bread.
I am the opposite. I like more bread than custard.

The results were fabulous. By baking it in a hot water bath, the custard and chocolate stays creamy, while the top puffs up perfectly and gets nice and crispy.

I used Pepperidge Farm white bread (as she suggests), and removed the crusts.




Caramelized Bread Pudding w/ Chocolate & Cinnamon: (from Sunday Suppers at Lucques)

5 Brioche slices (or Pepperidge Farm white), crusts removed (I used 9 slices, but that's me!)
2 tbsp softened butter
3/4 cup of chopped chocolate

1.5 cups of heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3 extra large eggs
2 extra large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp kosher salt



Whisk eggs, yolks, brown sugar, vanilla until smooth.
Now add in your cream and milk.

Add spices and salt and whisk until smooth.

In a 9" x 9" baking pan sprinkle the chopped chocolate on the bottom of the pan.
(though it didn't say to do so, I greased the pan first with butter just to be safe).

Cut the crusts off the sliced bread and butter each slice.
Now cut in half, then in quarters in triangle shapes.



Lay your buttered bread slices on top of the chocolate.

Pour custard over the bread and press down so bread is absorbed.

In a very large roasting pan, place your casserole dish that is holding the bread pudding in the center of the roasting pan. Pour water around the pan, about half way up the sides. This will prevent the custard from baking and keep it creamy.



Bake 65-70 minutes until puffed up and golden at 350F.

Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes.

Now it's time to caramelize the top.
Sprinkle 2 tbsp of granulated sugar on top of the bread pudding and torch it with a blow torch until getting crispy and brown, like caramel.

Serve straight from the pan by spooning out and drizzling some heavy cream on top.



Divine!!!!! Wonderful!!!! Delish!!!!!!