Chocolate Bread Pudding

Makes 8-10 servings (8 cups)

This homey dessert is great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Use a slightly sweet, egg-enriched bread like egg bread or challah, or even cinnamon bread. Save the crusts you’ve trimmed in a paper bag; in a few days, you can crumble them into bread crumbs to use for another recipe. Note: To make sure the pudding cooks evenly, you’ll need to bake it in a water bath (see how to, in steps 4 and 5).

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) can low-fat (2%) evaporated milk
• ½ cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• ¼ cup Chocolate Malt-O-Meal® cereal, uncooked
• 1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 (1-pound) loaf egg bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• About 6 cups water, for water bath

Directions

1. In medium saucepan over medium heat, bring evaporated milk, sugar, and salt just to a boil, stirring often. Gradually whisk in cereal; continue cooking and stirring until thickened, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In large bowl, beat together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in chocolate mixture, then gently stir in bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, and up to 6 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan, and scrape the chocolate mixture evenly into it. Place it inside a roasting pan or another baking pan large enough to hold it with some room on all sides.
4. Prepare a water bath: Bring the water to a boil in a tea kettle or a pot you can pour from easily.
5. When oven is preheated, slide oven rack part way out and place the pudding-pan-filled roasting pan on it. Carefully pour boiling water around the inner pan, allowing it to come up to 1 inch along the side. Slide the oven rack in gently to avoid sloshing water. Bake until puffy and the center feels firm when pressed gently, about 1 hour. Carefully slide oven rack part way out and lift out pudding pan.
6. Let cool 1 hour before serving.

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