The Ultimate Depression Cure: Chocolate Bread Pudding Recipe
This chocolate bread pudding recipe is rich and comforting, complete with a silky chocolate ganache that will slay dragons if you ask it to.
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 1hour
Total Time 1hour20minutes
Servings 6servings
Calories 609kcal
Author Stephanie Stiavetti
Ingredients
For the ganache-laden bread
6ouncesof semi-sweet chocolatechopped fine
1/2cupcream
1/2cupmilk(2% is fine)
1/4cupricotta cheese
1/2teaspoonsalt
1loafthick, heavy, sliced bread(rice bread works especially well for this dish)
For the pudding
7wholeegg yolksat room temperature
1 1/2cupsmilk(2% is fine, but I recommend whole)
1 1/2cupsheavy cream
1/3cupagave nectar
3tablespoonshoney
1/2teaspoonsalt
Shaved white and dark chocolate for garnish
Instructions
Make the ganache-laden bread:
Add chopped chocolate to a large metal bowl.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, milk, ricotta, and salt. Stir constantly and heat until the cream very hot, but not boiling. You should see little bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan.
Slowly pour the hot cream into the chocolate, whisking quickly until the chocolate is completely melted.
Using a tablespoon, spread the ganache thickly on one side of each slice of bread. Cut the slices into 1″ cubes and place in a deep casserole dish or Dutch oven. A 9×13 baking dish will do in a pinch, though you’ll need a larger pan for the water bath.
Make the bread pudding:
Add egg yolks to a large metal bowl and beat well. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat milk, cream, agave, honey and salt until it’s very hot, but not boiling. You should see a good amount of steam beginning to rise from the surface of the cream, but it should not bubble (this is about 170°F (76°C) for you thermo-heads out there). Slowly pour hot pudding into egg yolks, a little at a time, while beating quickly. Do not combine too fast or you will scramble the eggs.
Pour hot pudding over bread cubes in the casserole dish, reserving 1/2 cup of pudding. Gently agitate to make sure all of the bread is covered with pudding. Allow to sit for three hours, occasionally folding the bread cubes to allow for even absorption.
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Prepare a water bath by finding a deep, heat-proof dish that will comfortably fit your casserole dish inside of it. Place casserole dish in the large pan, and fill the larger pan with water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the casserole dish that contains the bread pudding.
Drizzle the remaining hot pudding around the top of the bread cubes. Slide the casserole dish, with it’s water bath, into the oven and cook for 1 hour. When it’s done, the top of the pudding should be puffy and start to crisp up a bit.
Remove pudding from oven and allow to cool to room temperature so that it solidifies before serving. Cut unto squares and garnish with chocolate shavings. Note: This chocolate bread pudding recipe tastes best when it’s been allowed to sit overnight in the refrigerator, but if you can’t wait that long, at least wait until it’s completely cooled, lest you end up with a luscious chocolate puddle.
Notes
Nutritional analysis will vary depending on type of bread using.