TWD: Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding

{Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle chose the recipe for this week. Please visit her blog for the recipe.}

Bread pudding is such an adult dessert. I never appreciated it until I was a grown up. In fact, the first time I enjoyed it was at my wedding dinner at my favorite (and now closed) restaurant in Sturbridge, MA. It was sooo good. I’ve never been able to duplicate it.

You should be seeing pictures of Chocolate Bread Pudding. Don’t worry–there’s plenty of chocolate in it, I just couldn’t bring myself to make a chocolate custard. Sorry. I just didn’t think it would be as appetizing–you know, a big pan of brown goo. I wanted big pockets of dried cherries and melted chocolate. That’s precisely what I got.

I made homemade white bread with lots of eggs and let it dry out. I was a little worried that it wouldn’t work and would turn to mush, but it was perfect.

As I thought about this recipe, I decided that I really wanted to try a portion of the recipe with caramelized pears. So I reserved a bit of everything and caramelized a pear cut into chunks.

Then they were ready to go into the oven. I’ve never used a water bath for my bread pudding before, but I will do it from now on. I think it prevented the pudding from being raw in the middle and dry at the edges.

When I pulled it out of the oven, I was very happy with the result.

I made some whipped cream (with sour cream added), dolloped some on the top and I shared it with my kids for lunch yesterday.

As always, Dorie came through. This is a good recipe. I hope you’ll try it. You can get it here.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

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24 Comments

  1. Oh I love this variation. I think this might have worked a lot better for me. I felt like the chocolate was diluted by the bread pudding/custard, and the richness of the bread pudding was sorta dulled by half-hearted chocolate. I love the idea of pockets of chocolate and fruit in a traditional bread pudding though. Ok, that’s a variation that I’m going to have to try! Thanks for posting this.

  2. Of COURSE yours looks like absolute perfection! I knew it would! I love the version with the pears, and I love how you studded it with chocolate rather than make the entire custard! It is absolutely stunning!

  3. I love bread pudding and used to make it all the time growing up. I love it with vanilla or caramel sauce. Mmmm…

    I’ve come to appreciate the chocolate and cherry flavor combo. Your bread pudding looks (and sounds) outstanding.

  4. LOL True it isn’t the best looking with chocolate custard, but in the end… some did manage to make it look reall pretty! Okay, maybe not as pretty as yours… but almost.

    I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lindsey!

  5. As you know, I didn’t make this, but yours does look delicious. I love the idea of using dried cherries, and caramelized pears sound pretty good as well!

  6. I hate to go against the grain of everyone who has responded but… I just don’t get the modern approach to bread pudding. Large chunks of bread, intact with only a quick reheat and a topping– this is not a pudding. A pudding requires steaming or a long bake and turns out a substantive dish rather than a lite treat. Maybe I’m stuck in the past, but I like tradition. Fun blog though…

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