Mmmmm! Chocolate bread pudding.

I hadn't really tried bread pudding until this summer on our cruise. It was chocolate bread pudding with a heavenly cream sauce (creme fraiche or something). I craved it later. Last weekend at the cheer competition, we went out for lunch and they had chocolate bread pudding again. It was a sign.

Last night, I made my own chocolate bread pudding. I halved the recipe, and made some modifications, but it was still good! Oh, and we only have heart shaped ramekins... so don't think I was being particularly amorous...

chocolate bread pudding with walnuts and chocolate chips

Bon Appétit | January 2007

Carolynn Angle

4 cups 1-inch cubes egg bread with crust (about 6 ounces) - I just used french/italian bread
1 1/4 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, divided - I used both semi and bittersweet
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, broken into 1/2-inch pieces - I don't like crunchy pudding, omitted

1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided - I didn't have whipping cream, I just used half & half
1 cup half and half, divided
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk - in halving this, I used a whole egg yolk. I can't split it in half.
1/2 cup sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preparation

Toss bread cubes, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and toasted walnuts in large bowl to blend.

Whisk 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup half and half, and cocoa in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Add remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup half and half. Whisk eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in chocolate-cream mixture. Stir into bread mixture. Let stand 1 hour for bread to absorb some of custard.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter six (1- to 1 1/4-cup) ramekins. Divide pudding mixture among ramekins. Bake puddings until set in centers, about 40 minutes. I think I overbaked it, but it still turned out well :)

Is this cheating?

I've been playing with various recipes lately, I get a lot of ideas from the What's Cooking? discussion board on thenest.com (yes, I do realize that qualifies me as a dork). But anyway, I end up feeling remorse when I find a new recipe that I like that is in the same category as a "family recipe".

For example, my Mom made the same chocolate chip cookies for me throughout high school, bringing buckets of them (literally) to our cross-country meets. I feel great allegiance and loyalty to these cookies. Yet, I cheated on them. I tried the BBFCCC's and liked them. I felt the same way when I abandoned my grandmother's banana bread recipe for another allrecipes.com version. Like I had broken trust or been disloyal.

Anyway, if you need a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, and are willing to deal with the two-fold guilt of abandoning your ancestors and consuming calories after the new year, here is a great recipe.

I usually make a full batch of them, bake up a cookie sheet full, and then put the rest of the dough into a freezer bag and make small batches as I want. It's great to have on hand when DH invites people over 3 nights in a week... I'll tell that story later.

Best Big Fat Choc. Chip Cookies

(BBFCCCs)

from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. (I usually put them in the fridge and wait at least an hour before baking. I find it works a lot better!) Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Today's Hawaiian word is:
I mua - to progress, go forward
"ee moo-ah"

Holo i mua - Move forward.