Fred Provenzano of Seattle, Washington, writes: "While in Washington, D.C., for a convention, I discovered a delightful restaurant, The Little Fountain Cafe. It was so good that I went back for dinner two more times during my stay. Can you persuade pastry chef Lauren Cooper to divulge her recipe for chocolate chip bread pudding?"
The pudding can be assembled up to one day ahead, then popped into the oven just before you sit down for dinner.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 12 to 14 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place bread in large bowl; pour 8 tablespoons melted butter over bread and toss to coat. Add chocolate chips and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
Step 2
Whisk half and half, 1 cup sugar, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt in large bowl to blend. Pour over bread cubes in dish. Let stand 30 minutes, occasionally pressing bread cubes into custard. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over pudding; sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake bread pudding until puffed, brown, and set in center, about 1 hour. Serve warm with Cinnamon-Rum Sauce.
Step 3
*Brioche is a golden, light bread made from egg- and butter-enriched yeast dough. It is available at French bakeries and some large supermarkets.
