Sugar High Friday - Sweet Seduction

Jasmine over at Confessions of a Cardamom Adict is hosting this month's Sugar High Friday, the topic is Sweet Seduction.

before i had my surgery i had the best dessert at La Pastaia. chocolate bread pudding. it was so delicious that it has haunted my memory and if i were trying to seduce someone this is surely one of the things i would have on the menu.

Barbie2be's Chocolate Bread Pudding

2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 vanilla beans
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
5 eggs
Pinch of salt
6 day-old chocolate chip brioches, cut into 1-inch pieces
Caramel sauce for serving
Whipped cream for serving

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 2-quart oval au gratin dish.

Pour the milk and cream into a heavy saucepan. Place the vanilla beans on a work surface. Using a small, sharp knife, cut the beans in half lengthwise. Using the knife tip, scrape the seeds from the beans, then add the seeds and bean halves to the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in 5 oz. finely chopped chocolate until smooth.

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and salt until blended. Form a kitchen towel into a ring and place the bowl on top to prevent it from moving. Gradually pour the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Add the brioche and stir to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes, occasionally pressing the brioche into the custard.

Stir 4 oz. of chopped chocolate into the brioche mixture and transfer to the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining chopped chocolate on top. Bake until a knife inserted near the center of the pudding comes out almost clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Drizzle each serving with caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.

i spent the day chopping up chocolate and chocolate chip brioche
that i got at a bakery at valley fair mall. i made up a recipe out of pieces and parts that i found on the internet. i used actual vanilla beans... something i have never done.

here's what it looked like fresh from the oven

and here it is ready to eat.