Chocolate bread and butter pudding

Like brown bread ice cream, bread and butter pudding never really sounded that appetising to me, yet it is the stuff British childhood dessert dreams are made of. For Valentines I felt the need to make something comforting and home-like, the chocolate a romantic addition, yet one that the recipient wasn't too sure about. I can well understand why people have such an (incorrect) but negative attitude to British food when a pudding made with bread, butter and custard is up for offer. Like Yorkshire or suet pudding, everything just sounds so bland, but if cooked correctly, their virtue lies in their simplicity and sometimes their role as a guest rather than a star makes them truly shine.

A true Yorkshire pudding should be cooked under the meat, soaking up all the dripping and juices that the joint expels. Suddenly, a simple batter of flour, milk and eggs becomes transformed into a well flavoured, savoury accompaniment. Similarly, day old bread, butter and a custard made from eggs, milk and sugar has a magic alchemy that makes it work. The bread soaks up the custard and becomes spongy and satisfyingly chewy on the edges. Add some raisins or sultanas, (or chocolate) and you have added ooomph.

 

Recipe : Chocolate bread and butter pudding

Adapted from Delia online

NOTE: This pudding has two important notes: 

1. Use day old bread instead of fresh. This ensures that the bread doesn't completely disintegrate into the custard and turn into mush. You want some structure and a little bite on the edges still. If you only have fresh bread, slice it as for the recipe and then lay it out on a plate, uncovered, for an hour or two. It should start to go a little hard and stale and will be better suited. (You could also pop it into a low oven for a while, but be careful it doesn't become toast, although that wouldn't be the end of the World).

2. Once prepared, the recommendation is to allow the pudding for sit for at least 24 hours or preferably 48 before cooking to allow all the sauce to penetrate the bread. Therefore, start this at least one (or two) days before you want to serve it. 

10 slices good quality day old white bread

5oz (150g) good quality dark chocolate. (I used semi-sweet 75%)

2oz (75g) butter

15floz (425ml) whipping cream

4 tbsp dark rum (optional)

4oz (110g) caster (berry or superfine) sugar

pinch of cinnamon

3 large eggs

Melt the chocolate, butter, cream, rum, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring well until melted. (Make sure the bottom of the pan isn't touching the water).

Once everything is melted, remove the bowl and whisk to mix everything thoroughly. 

Beat the eggs in another bowl until well mixed and frothy and then pour the chocolate sauce onto the eggs. Mix together well. (Let the chocolate sauce cool before this step or you will get scrambled eggs).

Cut the crusts off each slice of bread and cut into 4 pieces. (The recipe suggested triangles which I attempted, see above. I found them hard to overlap as stated, so I would suggest maybe squares or rectangles instead). 

To assemble the pudding; first pour a layer of the chocolate sauce into a baking dish, (about 1/4 inch deep or one third of the sauce) and then begin layering half your bread on top, covering the sauce completely in an even layer. Pour another 1/3 of the sauce on top, ensuring the bread is evenly covered and then follow with the other half of the bread. Finish with the remaining 1/3 of sauce. You may have to push some of the bread down into the sauce, but ensure that nearly all of the bread is covered with chocolate. Cover the dish with cling wrap and allow it to cool to room temperature for 2 hours, after which time you can refrigerate for 24 or 48 hours. 

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350oF, remove the cling wrap and bake the pudding for 30 - 35 minutes. There should be some crisp - like edges and a soft, squidgy interior. Serve with whipping cream, vanilla ice cream or custard.