Caramelized Bread Pudding With Chocolate & Cinnamon

Name: Caramelized Bread Pudding With Chocolate & Cinnamon
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 4 -5 slices brioche bread (Pepperidge Farm works well) or 4 -5 slices good quality white bread, 1/4-inch thick, crusts removed (Pepperidge Farm works well); 3 extra-large eggs; 2 extra-large egg yolks; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 1/2 cups heavy cream; 1 1/4 cups whole milk; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for caramelizing the top

13 ingredients

5 steps

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 -5 slices brioche bread (Pepperidge Farm works well) or 4 -5 slices good quality white bread, 1/4-inch thick, crusts removed (Pepperidge Farm works well)
3 extra-large eggs
2 extra-large egg yolks
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for caramelizing the top

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the softened butter on one side of the brioche. Cut each slice in half on the diagonal and then again into quarters.
2

Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, whisking to combine well.
3

Sprinkle the chocolate over the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) baking dish. Arrange the brioche, buttered side up, with slices overlapping just slightly, on the chocolate (there should be just a single layer of bread). Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down with your fingers to make sure the bread soaks it up. Place the bread pudding in a roasting pan, and pour warm water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding dish. Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the custard is set and the bread puffs up slightly. The pudding will be springy to the touch.
4

Let the bread pudding cool at least 10 minutes.
5

If you have a kitchen blowtorch, sprinkle the sugar over the top, and torch to brown and caramelize. If you don't have a torch, You run the pudding under the broiler to caramelize, but be careful not to curdle the custard underneath. Serve the bread pudding from the baking dish at the table, using a big spoon.