Basic bread pudding, made simply with stale bread, eggs, milk, sugar, and maybe some raisins, will never go out of fashion, but if you're in the mood to dress up the basic recipe a bit, consider this version devised by Linda Hegeman and Barbara Hayford for their cookbook, New Fangled, Old Fashioned Bread Puddings, a work devoted entirely to recipes for bread pudding.  Resembling a huge chocolate chip cookie, this dessert is, therefore, two comfort foods in one.

Ingredients:

4 cups day-old French bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups half and half
4 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Butter a 1 and 1/2 quart souffle or baking dish.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In small saucepan bring half and half almost to boil.  Remove from heat, add butter and stir until melted.  In large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cardamom on medium speed.  Gradually add half and half mixture,beating until incorporated.  Skim and discard foam.  Add bread cubes and chocolate chips and toss to combine.  Pour into prepared dish and bake 45 minutes until set, pudding is puffed, and top is browned.  (Knife inserted 1 inch from center should come out clean.)  Cool for ten minutes before serving.  Serves 6.

Printer-friendly

E-mail this page to a friend