Description
Delightful Paula Deen chocolate bread pudding blends rich custard with chocolate-soaked bread cubes. Warm Southern dessert promises comfort and indulgence, inviting you to savor each luxurious spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ lb French bread, cut into cubes
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 stick butter
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup coffee flavored liqueur
- ¼ cup dark rum
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly spray a 13×9-inch baking dish. Arrange bread cubes evenly across the bottom of the dish.
- Liquid Foundation: Whisk whole milk, heavy cream, and coffee-flavored liqueur in a large mixing bowl until smooth and integrated.
- Sugar Composition: Blend granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and cocoa powder. Fold this mixture into the milk liquid, ensuring complete incorporation.
- Egg Fusion: Beat eggs thoroughly, then integrate vanilla extract, almond extract, and ground cinnamon until fully combined.
- Custard Assembly: Merge the egg mixture with the milk-sugar liquid, creating a cohesive custard base. Gently fold chocolate chips throughout the mixture.
- Soaking Process: Pour custard over bread cubes, ensuring complete saturation. Allow 20-25 minutes of absorption, periodically pressing cubes to maximize liquid intake.
- Baking Sequence: Transfer dish to preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. The pudding is ready when a cake tester comes out clean and the top achieves a golden-brown hue.
- Sauce Preparation: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until caramelized. Introduce chopped pecans, toasting briefly to enhance flavor.
- Rum Infusion: Add rum to the skillet, then remove from heat. Ignite the sauce with a long lighter, allowing flames to burn off alcohol.
- Serving Finale: Let pudding rest for 10 minutes after baking. Serve warm or at room temperature, generously drizzling pecan rum sauce over each portion.
Notes
- Soak Strategically: Let bread cubes absorb custard for 20-25 minutes, pressing occasionally to ensure maximum liquid penetration for rich, moist texture.
- Temperature Precision: Maintain consistent 325°F oven temperature to achieve perfectly golden brown top without burning delicate custard base.
- Rum Sauce Safety: Use long lighter when flambéing sauce, keeping safe distance and ensuring controlled flame for caramelized flavor development.
- Resting Ritual: Allow pudding to rest 10 minutes after baking, enabling custard to set and flavors to meld, creating a more cohesive dessert experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 442
- Sugar: 43 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg