Raspberry Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

There are a lot of ways to use up stale bread: turkey stuffing, Panzanella, feeding it to birds and squirrels (because, of course, if you feed it to the former you inevitably also share it with the latter!).

But truly, without exaggeration, I have to tell you that this pudding recipe I'm sharing with you today is probably the best re-purposing of stale bread that you will find.

It's sweet, but not too sugary. It's substantial, but not heavy. It's rich, but not obscenely so. And since the custard that the bread soaks in is flavored with instant cocoa, you can even vary the flavor of the pudding to suit your whims.

This is a perfect dessert to serve on a chilly Fall evening.



Raspberry Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

3 large eggs
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1-1/4 ounce packet Chocolate and Raspberry Instant Cocoa
1/8 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups half-and-half
6 cups of cubed challah (1" cubes)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 10" round baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, sugar, and half-and-half. Stir in the bread cubes, and let soak in the custard for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish, and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 45 minutes until pudding is puffed and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 10-12 servings, and is ideal with either ice cream or whipped cream.