Dennys Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding and Sauces

Denny's Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding and Sauces

This recipe is not so rich, full of calories or excess sugar so you can savor the chocolate!

Easy to mix up by hand. Great for holiday menus or the novice cook. Serves about 8 - 10.

This is half the sugar and butter of regular recipes, using a low fat milk (as opposed to whole milk or worse like a lot of recipes that use heavy cream) and my own version developed 9 November 2008.

4 - 8 cups of French bread, torn into about 2 inch pieces, it can be one day old bread or a week old if it's been properly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator.

1/3 cup of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup of shredded semisweet bar baking chocolate like Ghirardelli or Scharffenberger

(easy to use a box grater like you use for shredding cheese)

2 large AA eggs

¾ cup of dark brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla (no imitation)

5 Tablespoons of butter (real butter, no imitation please)

2 cups of low fat 2 - 3% organic milk (we like Kleinpeter's brand from Louisiana)

Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans (we like Bergeron's brand from Louisiana)

Directions:

Place the bread pieces into a large bowl and set aside - start with 4 cups which is about ½ loaf of French bread - you may require more according to how much of the liquid is absorbed and your current humidity conditions. Add the shredded chocolate and cocoa to the bread pieces and mix well.

Using cold butter (real butter, no substitutes, please!) grease an oval earthenware casserole dish like Emile Henry that is about 13 x 9 inches. It tastes better baked in earthenware or glass compared to metal. You can use other size pans - just remember you want the bread pudding to be no higher than 3 inches or it doesn't bake well.

In another bowl, take a wire whisk (a dinner fork if you are desperate!) and by hand beat the eggs. Add the dark brown sugar, vanilla, milk and melted butter and mix well. Pour the mixture over the bread and shredded chocolate mixture. Allow to sit for at least 10 - 15 minutes for the bread to soak. If you see there is a puddle of milk mixture sitting off to the side then add some more torn bread pieces to soak it up and keep adding until you are comfortable most of the bread is well soaked. You want a wet stew-like mixture - lumpy, thick and soupy - not dry.

Pour mixture into the greased pan. (Don't flour the pan, no need.) If you want to add chopped pecans, add them to the top of the mixture so they have a chance to brown slightly and get crunchy as the softer bread pudding bakes underneath.

Bake at 350° F. for at least 30 minutes, maybe up to 40 minutes depending upon your oven and climate.

Serve warm naked as a newborn baby, dusted with powdered sugar, a pureed raspberry sauce slightly sweetened or whipped cream. We park ourselves in the chocolate purist corner. Enjoy!

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Here are 2 sauces to enjoy with your chocolate bread pudding tonight at dinner.

If you really want to gild the lily, and drown in that full chocolate flavor, then choose this delightful and easy one.

Chocolate Sauce:

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa

2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup boiling water

1 Tablespoon butter (no substitutes)

1 teaspoon vanilla (no imitation)

Put all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and cook until thickened. Serve warm.

*****

Here's a traditional whiskey sauce favored in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Whiskey Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon water

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup bourbon

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream up to a gentle boil.

Whisk together the cornstarch and (cold) water in a separate cup and then add to the cream while still whisking. Again bring to a gentle boil.

Whisk again and let simmer for a few seconds, making sure you don't burn the mixture on the bottom. Milk and cream tend to scorch easily over medium heat.

Remove from the heat; don't just turn off the heat, remove the cream mixture from the hot area so it doesn't scorch.

Stir in the bourbon and sugar. Taste to make sure there is a thick consistency to the sauce and is sweet enough for your taste with a pronounced good Bourbon flavor. Cool to room temperature and serve.

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Other Recipes from Denny Lyon

*** Recipes published exclusively with HubPages ***

Check out this recipe: Dennys Louisiana Lyon Oven Pancake - Great for a quick supper or brunch with a minimum of fuss mixed in one bowl and baked in one pan - and this pancake is long on presentation!

Check out this recipe: Dennys Oatmeal Pancakes with Cherries - Heart-healthy, easy to make and vegetarian! Here is a wonderful and hearty recipe for cold weather days - and lazy Sundays! This recipe is heart-healthy with lots of oatmeal, cherries for the mineral iron and buttermilk as the American version of yogurt.

Check out this recipe: Dennys Low Gluten Southern Cornbread - This is very low-gluten and wonderfully moist and satisfying. White corn meal cornbread is lighter than yellow. Fast and easy for beginner cooks! Vegetarian too!

Fun Food Blogs by Denny Lyon:

Romancing The Chocolate – yummy photos, recipes and just plain fun.  Quotes illustrated with chocolate photos to make you laugh!

Comfort Food From Louisiana – yummy easy comfort food recipes, photos of New Orleans, history and cultural traditions of south Louisiana. 

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