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Saturday, March 26, 2011

A Midnight Snack

A Piece of Goodness

     Though, to clarify, this wasn't supposed to be a midnight snack. It was supposed to be a dessert that would last through at least one meal. It did not. It came out of the oven at 12:30 am and there was only one measly piece left by 1 am. That measly piece disappeared the next morning. No prizes for guessing who ate it. Actually, I shared it with my friend KK who is visiting (and no those are not her real initials for those who know her, but those are the initials correlating to what I call her, so those are the initials you will come to know and love - sorry for the convolutedness, everybody else).


     So, what is this short-lived food? It is Chocolate Bread Pudding. And before you roll your eyes and wonder why I am making another bread pudding, let me tell you that there is a poor loaf of Trader Joe's bread that has gone kind of stale in my fridge. What else would you have me do with it?

     Wonder of wonders, this bread pudding created a niche for itself outside the other ones I have made so far. Both the cinnamon bun and the peanut butter and jelly bread puddings were delicious, but they were rather heavy. They were more dense desserts, to be enjoyed in small pieces at leisure because a little went a long way (especially the pb & j). This bread pudding is different. It is light. It is not too sweet. It is something three people can finish in one sitting. Sorry other people I meant to share it with.

    
     For a spur of the moment - I completely made up the recipe dessert, this chocolate bread pudding turned out delicious. Like I said, it was light and not cloyingly sweet. Instead, warm out of the oven, it was chocolatey, a little chewy but soft, and delicious. The crusty bits on top were extra good crunchy chocolatey morsels. We had two helpings each easily and didn't regret it at all. I love when midnight experiments turn into delicious midnight snacks.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

4 pieces Slightly Stale Crusty White Bread (I used Tuscan Pane from Trader Joes)
2 Eggs, Beaten
1/3 cup Yogurt
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 tbsp Cocoa

Butter a loaf pan. Crumble the pieces of bread into 1'' by 1'' pieces onto a plate. In a medium bowl (or large tupperware), mix together the eggs, yogurt, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cocoa thoroughly. Add the bread to the mixture, and stir everything together until all the pieces of bread are coated in liquid. Cover the container, and allow the bread to soak in the liquid for at least half an hour. When you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Dump the soaked bread and any remaining liquid into the loaf pan, making sure they are evenly spread through the pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top looks set and firm. Allow to cool on a wire rack for five minutes, then serve straight out of the pan.

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