COCOA & TOAST BREAD PUDDING

COCOA & TOAST BREAD PUDDING image

Yield 6-8

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

16-ounce loaf country bread
3 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more to taste
2/3 cup sugar, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 mounded cup mini marshmallows
Recipe Notes
Peppermint Cocoa Bread Pudding: Add a half teaspoon of peppermint extract along with the vanilla extract and scatter some crushed peppermints over the top of the finished pudding.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper along with the vanilla extract.

Steps:

Slice the loaf of bread into 1-in cubes, about 11 c total. (Trim the crust off if desired; pieces of crust make chewy bits in the pudding) If you're preparing this ahead, spread the cubes on a baking tray and leave out overnight. Otherwise, toast the bread cubes in a 350°F oven, tossing occasionally, until they are dry, 30 to 40 minutes. Staled bread cubes can be stored in an airtight container for several days. When ready to make the pudding, prepare the cocoa custard filling. Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat or in 30 second bursts in the microwave until warm to the touch but not steaming hot. Remove the milk from heat and whisk in the cocoa, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Taste and add more cocoa powder or sugar to taste. Cool to room temperature; whisk in eggs. Fill a 2-quart (9x9-inch or deep 8x8-inch) baking dish with the bread cubes. Pack them in as tightly as possible; you may have some bread left over (this can be saved for breadcrumbs). Pour the cocoa custard filling evenly over the top of the bread. The filling should come almost to the top of the dish with some peaks of bread cubes left exposed. Cover the pudding and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the bread pudding on the counter to take the chill off as the oven heats. Remove the covering from the pudding and place it in the heated oven. Bake until the tips of the bread cubes are crisp and dry and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the pudding emerges with only a little chocolate, 45 to 55 minutes. Scatter the marshmallows over the top of the pudding. Turn on the broiler and place the pudding about 6 in. below the broiler element. Watch the pudding very closely. When the marshmallows puff up and start to toast, remove the pudding from the oven. Let the pudding cool for at least 10 min. before serving. Leftovers will keep for up to a week and can be eaten cold or reheated.