CARAMELIZED BREAD PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE AND CINNAMON

Caramelized Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Cinnamon image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 or 5 slices brioche, or good-quality white bread, 1/4 inch thick, crusts removed
3 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large egg yolks
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for caramelizing the top

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the softened butter on one side of each slice of brioche. Cut each slice in half on the diagonal and then again into quarters.
Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; whisk to combine.
Sprinkle the chocolate over the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Top with brioche, buttered sides up, and overlapping just slightly. Pour egg mixture over the bread. Using your fingers, press down gently on bread to fully submerge in the egg mixture. Place the bread pudding in a roasting pan, and pour enough warm water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the custard is set and the bread puffs up slightly, and is springy to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top of the pudding. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. Alternatively, you can place the custard in a preheated broiler until the sugar carmelizes, 1 to 2 minutes, taking care not to curdle the custard underneath.