Chocolate Decadence Bread Pudding Recipes

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in. springform pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Cube remaining butter; place in a small saucepan. Add chocolate chips and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat., In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, espresso powder and salt. Gently stir in bread; let stand until bread is softened, about 15 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes., Meanwhile, for sauce, heat cream in a small heavy saucepan until bubbles form around sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, brown sugar and salt. Whisk a small amount of hot cream into egg mixture; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in butter. Fold in pecans and coconut. If desired, stir in brandy. Cool., For whipped cream, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and, if desired, brandy; beat until soft peaks form., Loosen sides of pan with a knife. Carefully run a knife around edge of springform pan to loosen; remove rim from pan. Serve pudding warm with sauce and whipped cream.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the cream, milk, vanilla seeds and pod, and cinnamon sticks, if using, in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 minutes to infuse flavors.
• Cut the brioche into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut slices into quarters, setting aside the rounded top pieces. Fill a 9-by-12-inch gratin dish or a deep oval roasting dish with the quartered pieces.
• Return the milk mixture to a boil, remove from heat, and discard vanilla pod and cinnamon sticks. Add chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Pour chocolate mixture very slowly into egg-yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until fully combined.
• Slowly pour half the chocolate custard over bread, making sure all the bread is soaked. Arrange the reserved bread on top in a decorative pattern, and press firmly so bottom layer of bread absorbs chocolate mixture. Spoon remaining custard over bread until completely covered and all cracks are filled. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the dish; press down to soak bread thoroughly. Remove plastic, wipe edges of the dish with a damp towel, and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Place gratin dish in a larger pan; fill outer pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the gratin dish. Bake until set, about 35 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.
• Whisk the creme fraiche until soft peaks form. Serve pudding warm, garnished with creme fraiche and chocolate shavings.

CHOCOLATE CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the croissant pieces and chocolate chunks and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Press the mixture down into the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight to allow the liquid to be absorbed.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

CHEF JOHN'S CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
• Melt semisweet chocolate and unsalted butter together in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Remove from heat.
• Beat eggs and sugar together in a bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until pale and very thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Sift in flour, cayenne, and salt; whisk to combine.
• Pour 1/4 of the egg mixture into chocolate mixture; stir to combine. Pour chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture and stir until cake batter is combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until just barely set, with a jiggle below the surface, 14 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, wrap in aluminum foil, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Butter six ramekins or custard cups. Melt chocolate and butter slowly: You can do this in a double boiler, over, not in, simmering water, or in microwave, stirring to prevent scorching. Stir until completely smooth.
• In a medium bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer until frothy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir vanilla and salt gently into beaten eggs. Fold half of egg mixture into chocolate mixture, mix well. Then fold remainder of egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Pour chocolate and egg mixture into prepared ramekins.
• Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place ramekins on towel, inside roasting pan. Butter a piece of foil big enough to cover entire pan, and cover the ramekins, buttered side down. Place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 5 minutes, then remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Remove ramekins from water carefully. Let cool on wire rack for at least 3 hours. Cakes will firm up as they cool. Unmold each room-temperature ramekin onto a dessert plate, garnish and serve. Refrigerate unused portions.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING (PAULA DEEN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish.
• Place the bread in the baking dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream and liqueur.
• In another bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars with the cocoa powder and mix well.
• Add this to the milk mixture and whisk to combine.
• Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the cinnamon to the beaten eggs.
• Combine the egg mixture with the milk mixture and mix well.
• Stir in the grated chocolate.
• Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes;.
• Let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most of the milk mixture.
• Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until set;.
• a knife inserted into the center of the pudding should come out clean.
• Serve the pudding warm or refrigerate it and serve chilled.