Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding

It’s become somewhat of a tradition to have friends over for Christmas dinner. I say “somewhat” because Husband and I have only done it twice and there were different friends each time, as well as different meals. However, there were a few similarities: for starters, both meals require an all day cook-a-thon, which I really enjoy. Secondly: I've managed to do both cook-a-thons while listening to show tunes and singing along (sorry neighbors!). And lastly, there are two dishes that made the cut both years: my mother-in-law’s stuffing and a Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding recipe I found in Real Simple magazine.  Out of everything I have made in my entire life, the percentage of tasters to recipe requests is the highest for this dessert (at 100%).

I was feeling a little adventurous this year and decided to try separating the egg yolk in my hand rather than use the egg-shell-to-egg-shell method that always felt more hygienic, although people claim it raises the risk for Salmonella. I don’t know that I’m a complete convert (there is something rather unpleasant about having cold, elasticky, slimy egg whites dripping from your hand), but it is a little less gross than I thought it would be.  I only recommend trying this method if you are right next to a sink. You will need to wash your hands immediately and possibly in between eggs…

As is common, the first time I made this recipe I was more attentive and it turned out slightly better. The top browns more quickly than the bottom cooks, making it tempting to remove the dish before it is completely cooked, however, with a little patience this will turn out with a nice consistency. What I think I’ve figured out is that the cooking time tends to be about10 minutes longer than recommended in the recipe. I also recommend completely cooking the pudding even if you are planning on reheating it. I was relying on a reheat to help set the custard the second time I made it and it never got completely there. It wasn’t totally disastrous, but still wasn’t perfection.

Also, both times I made this, I only stirred half the chocolate in with the custard/croissant mixture. After pouring it into the baking dish, I distributed the remaining chocolate in order to achieve a more even allotment of deliciousness.
We served this with ice cream and butterscotch and chocolate sauces one year and on its own the next. It is delicious either way!

This is a simple dish that will receive rave reviews!

Summary:
Difficulty Level: Medium
Effort Level: Medium
Cost: Moderate (croissants ain’t cheap!)
Result: Near perfection. A definite keeper