Greetings All,
So, it has been a little longer than I had hoped since I last wrote, but it has been a crazy few weeks. Running around like a madman always makes me yearn for comfort food, and I have had this delectable concoction rolling around in my head for days now. This is an interesting little twist on a typical "Grandma's" style comfort food; I remember going to my Grammy's house on chilly fall days and getting warmed up with a hunk of her nice warm Bread Pudding with raisins, cinnamon, and caramel. It was a terrific treat that always made me look forward to crisp fall Saturday mornings. This version, however, is NOT my Grammy's... it is a lot creamier, more sophisticated, but equally as desirable. Croissants make an excellent base for this pudding, as they "meld" much nicer with the custard than your typical rolls or bread used for pudding. This creamy sweetness paired with the rich, sweet, and slightly bitter Belgian chocolate makes the perfect ending to any meal, the perfect start to any day, AND the perfect sweet morsel for an afternoon pick-me-up.
This is a very versatile pudding; can be served hot or cold, in large bowls with Vanilla ice cream or chilled and cut up into bite size morsels; can be a dessert or a part of a holiday breakfast or bunch with a richly roasted coffee. The nice thing about this is that it can be made several days in advance, then eaten chilled or just popped in the microwave for 45 seconds to warm it up.
The chocolate for this recipe is very important, as you need something that can stand up to being in the oven for a long while. I HIGHLY recommend a high quality chocolate, such as Callebaut or Ghirardelli(available in most grocery stores), but if you can find the big chunks of block chocolate found in bins at a candy store or candy aisle at the grocery store that will work well too. Avoid chocolate chips, as they are too small and won't do well in the oven. I hate to be a stickler on this, but in this case you will REALLY see a difference. I tried many types and sizes of chocolate, but only the chunks really worked well. Chips tend to melt and dissolve into the custard, making a chocolate custard with no delicious contrast.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings.... On to the recipe!!!
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Tools-
1 - Large Mixing Bowl
1 - Balloon Whisk
1 - 12 X 20 X 2" Hotel Pan (or 2 9 X 13" pans)
1 - Cutting Board
1 - 8" (or larger) Chef's Knife
1 - Sauce Pan
1 - Wooden Spoon
Custard-
Milk - 2 qts
Heavy Cream - 2 cups
Sugar - 3 cups
Whole Eggs (large) 10 each
Egg Yolks 8 each (you can save the whites for meringue if you want a sticky sweet topping :) )
Pure Vanilla Extract - 2TBSP (or as much as you like)
Croissants - This really depends on the size of them... I just cut them up
into big chunks, enough to fill a hotel pan about 2/3 of the way.... You can
buy frozen ones, its okay :)
Belgian Chocolate (Callebaut brand is the best... Needs to be a harder
chocolate, hersheys doesn't cut it) - I would say about 1.5 - 2 lbs, but
really as much as you like... Cut it into random big chunks the size of a
quarter using a big chef's knife....
1. Heat 1/2 of the milk just enough to dissolve the sugar (scalded is
perfect)
2. Beat the Eggs and the Yolks together just enough to incorporate them
together, then add the cold milk and heavy cream
3. Add the warm milk to the mixture and mix well.
** This mixture can be made and kept on hand for a few days, so if you
are having a party, make the mix ahead of time
To Bake:
1. Preheat oven to 250* (convection) or 275* (standard)
2. Put the croissants into a full hotel pan, pour custard over the top.
It
should mostly cover the croissants but not so they are swimming....
3. Let stand 30 minutes ( this breaks down the croissants a bit and
makes it
creamier)
4. Add the chocolate to the top, just drop it all over the place.... Get
that chocolate dust from cutting it on there too... It only makes it
better
5. Bake until the custard sets, about 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on
how
thick the pudding is)
6. Let it chill (you can eat it hot if you want, but I am a firm
believer in
letting a custard cool to remove excess water to concentrate the
flavors. If
you want it warm you can always pop it in the microwave for a couple
seconds)
7. Cut. Eat. Smile. Fall Asleep knowing your life is now perfect.....
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