What to do with all those pesky bread ends? Over those past few months I froze the ends that were leftover from the morning ritual of cinnamon raisin toast. I came up with this recipe that I know you will love. It is surprisingly moist and yummy and with a kick of coffee and chocolate, it can’t be beat! And, top it off with this delicious warm caramel sauce. Calories galore and my apologies to my gluten and dairy free readers. I will experiment with a comparable recipe for you soon.
Bread Pudding
Heat oven to 350 (180) degrees. Cut 16 pieces of cinnamon raisin bread into small squares. Place in a 8″ square baking pan. Warm 2 cup milk. Dissolve 2 Tbl. instant coffe into milk. Beat 6 eggs and add to milk . Beat in 3/4 cup white sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Pour liquid over the bread, covering it. Chop 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate and press into bread. Place the pan into a larger pan 1/2 filled with water. This is called a hot water bath and is often used for baked puddings and cobblers. Bake for 1 hour or until top is browned and liquid is absorbed.
Caramel Sauce
Heat 3 Tbl. butter in a heavy pot. Pour in 12 oz. of evaporated milk, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Cook on low heat. In a separate bowl, spoon out a little of the milk mixture and whisk in 2 Tbl. cornstarch until it is completely dissolved. Pour milkback into pot and lower heat. Cook until it starts to thicken and remove from heat. Pour warm over pudding. Enjoy, you can go back to the diet tomorrow :))