Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding
Ingredients
⅔ cup
Kirsch, Grand Marnier or orange juice
1 ½ cups (about 10 oz.)
dried cherries
1 loaf (roughly 12 oz.)
challah bread, cut into 1 ½" pieces
¼ cup
Kowalski's Unsalted Butter, melted
10 oz.
semisweet dark chocolate, such as Scharffen Berger brand
6
eggs
2 cups
half-and-half
1 cup
sugar
¾ cup
heavy cream
½ cup
mascarpone cheese
1 tsp.
Kowalski's Organic Madagascar Vanilla Extract
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
- In a small saucepan, heat Kirsch over medium-low heat until just simmering.
- Remove from heat; stir in cherries. Let stand, covered, for 1 hr.
- In an extra-large mixing bowl, drizzle bread with butter; toss to coat.
- Pour ½ of the bread into a 3 qt. glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; scatter ⅔ of the chocolate over the bread.
- Spoon ⅔ of the cherries, including soaking liquid, over the chocolate; top with remaining bread.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, sugar, cream, cheese and vanilla; pour into baking dish.
- Cover baking dish with waxed paper; weigh paper down on the sides using sticks of butter, bags of shredded cheese, etc.; let stand for 45 min. to overnight.
- Remove weights and waxed paper; cover with foil.
- Bake bread pudding in a preheated 350° oven for 45 min.
- Uncover; continue bake until pudding is set and barely wiggles in the center (about 30 min. more).
- Scatter remaining chocolate and soaked cherries on top of pudding; let stand for 30 min.
- Dust with confectioners' sugar; serve warm.
Find It!
- Find challah bread on the Artisan Bread Table in the Bakery Department.
Original recipe by Cheese Specialist Dexa Franks.
