Title: Bread pudding #07
 Categories: Dessert
      Yield: 12 Servings
 
      3 lg Eggs
  1 1/4 c  Sugar
  1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract; plus
      1 ts (for the whipped cream)
  1 1/4 ts Grated nutmeg (or ground
           -nutmeg)
  1 1/4 ts Ground cinnamon
      4 tb Unsalted butter; melted
      2 c  Milk
    1/2 c  Chopped walnuts or other
           -nuts
    1/2 c  Chopped chocolate or chips;
           -about 4 ounces
      5 c  Very stale and dry bread in
           -3/4" to 1" cubes
      1 pt Heavy cream
           Powdered sugar to taste
 
   I cook frequently for friends and chocolate bread pudding is what I
  call a cheating dessert - I know it's going to get applause!
  
   This recipe is a variation on Paul Prudhome's recipe from his video
  entitled "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen.' It has the basic
  bread pudding recipe. All I do is add some chopped up good chocolate
  or chocolate chips. Another good thing to do is to use chocolate
  bread. I've seen chocolate bread in Grain d'Or bakeries.
  
   It's important that the bread cubes are really dry so that they soak
  up the milk and egg mixture before you bake it. If the bread isn't
  really stale, cut it into cubes and put it on a cookie sheet in a 200
  degree over for an hour and a half, stirring them a couple of times.
  
   Beat the eggs on high speed in an electric mixer for about three
  minutes, or by hand by a person with strong arms for about six
  minutes. Prudhomme describes the eggs as having pinhead size bubbles.
  Add the sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter.
  Beat for a minute until well blended. Add the milk, nuts and
  chocolate and mix.
  
   Grease or butter a bread or lasagne pan that is just large enough to
  hold all the bread cubes. Put the bread into the pan and pour the egg
  and milk mixture over it. Stir it up a couple of times.
  
   At this point, PP recommends letting it sit for 45 minutes, but we
  busy yuppies can't wait around like that. Turn the oven to 350
  degrees and stir the pudding again. When the oven is hot, stir the
  pudding one last time and put it in the oven. Immediately lower the
  temperature to 300 degrees.
  
   After 40 minutes, turn the oven up to 425 degrees and let it bake
  another 15 to 20 minutes.
  
   While the pudding is baking, whip the cream with the rest of the
  vanilla and powdered sugar to taste. Since the pudding is sweet, I
  like to keep the cream light, and I don't whip it to the point that
  it gets stiff.  It's going to melt on the hot pudding anyway, and it
  has more body if it is kept a little creamy.
  
   When you take this pudding out of the oven all the chocolate
  fanatics in the house will be swooning. The aroma is incredible. It's
  not as complicated as the recipe seems, mostly because it's pretty
  foolproof. This is one of those recipes where even if you make a
  mistake, like if the top burns a little, or if you don't beat the
  eggs enough, it may not be perfect ~ but I'll guarantee it won't get
  thrown away!
  
  HORNMAN@NETCOM.COM
  
  (SCOTT HARTMAN)
  
  REC.FOOD.RECIPES
  
  From rec.food.cooking archives.  Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe