Featured Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding
By Kate
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A rich chocolate bread pudding with dried cherries and toasted brioche cubes soaked in a spiced custard. Uses five egg yolks, reduced sugar, and dark cocoa milk for deep flavor. Baked until lightly puffed and golden, delivering a moist yet structured texture. Dried cherries replaced with tart dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips swapped in for chopped chocolate bark. Slightly altered bake and soak times, emphasizing sensory cues like faint aroma of caramelizing sugar and gentle jiggle to know doneness.
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Prep:
30 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Serves:
9 servings
dessert
baking
comfort food
Introduction
Bread pudding — more than just leftover bread drama. Here, chocolate and tart dried cranberries play tag inside cubes of toasted brioche, soaked in an almond-spiced chocolate custard. Why egg yolks only? Greater silkiness and deeper color without the rubbery bite whole eggs bring. Toasting bread first sets its structure; skipping this step risks a flat, mushy mound. Resting the soaked bread calls for patience but yields creamy pockets that swell with custard. The baking phase smells like caramelizing sugar and melting chocolate. Watch for a gentle jiggle in the center — signals the perfect set. Too firm means overcooked, too loose means under. Mix and match the dried fruit and chocolate type to tailor for your pantry and mood. Practical, resilient. Not just dessert — a comfort anchor.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Bread choice impacts everything. Brioche or challah with good crumb works because it absorbs and holds liquid without dissolving. Stale bread is great but avoid mold or extreme dryness. Eggs: yolks are rich, silkier texture, but could swap one yolk for a whole egg if pressed. Extract: almond extract swaps vanilla here, sharp contrast brightens chocolate. Milk: chocolate milk is base but homemade with cocoa and sugar dissolved in warm milk works. Chocolate chips hold shape better than coarse chunks which can make patchy melts. Dried cranberries bring vibrant tartness instead of the original cherries — better shelf life, more kitchen-friendly. Cinnamon adds warmth without overpowering, but omit if you want clean chocolate flavor. Butter the dish well; pudding sticks otherwise and ruins edges during unmolding or scooping. Toast bread cubes on a baking sheet for even heat exposure, circulates air and avoids soggy bottoms common when bread soaks directly in pan.
Method
Technique Tips
Start by toasting bread cubes until dry but not browned — crucial for developing texture and avoiding weighed down pudding. Toast smells should be subtle, almost bread just drying out, not browned aroma or burnt. Whisk egg yolks with dry ingredients first makes for better sugar dissolution and smoother custard. Gradually stir in milk to keep custard uniform; abrupt mixing risks overbeating and bubbles that translate to holes after baking. Folding the bread and mix gently ensures even soaking without mush. Fifteen to twenty minutes of resting is standard but extending to thirty-five lets custard penetrate fully without sogginess. Bake uncovered so surface crisps lightly; cover loosely with foil if edges color too fast. The jiggle test: center should wobble slightly when nudged but not swirl or shift. Letting pudding cool before slicing guarantees better shape retention. Store covered to keep moist but avoid refrigeration longer than a day as texture degrades. Warm gently in oven or microwave before serving for that just-baked experience all over again.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Cube and toast bread ahead of time. Ensures structure and absorbs custard without soggy spots. Toast to dry, not brown. Use parchment for even heat.
- 💡 Whisk egg yolks with sugar first. Helps dissolve better. Adds richness without rubbery texture. Gradually add chocolate milk for a consistent custard.
- 💡 Let bread soak longer than usual. Thirty-five minutes for this recipe. Ensures every piece of brioche is creamy inside. Skipping this risks dryness.
- 💡 Watch for jiggle while baking. Center should wobble gently not swirl. If edges brown quickly, cover with foil slightly to avoid bitterness.
- 💡 Cool bread pudding before slicing. Helps set shape. Serve with cocoa dust or warmed cream for extra touch. Don't refrigerate longer than a day.
