January
KQED Kitchen, hosted by Kim Goodfriend, brings you
seasonal dessert recipes that you can follow
step by step through online slideshows.
This month, Kim prepares a chocolate-orange bread pudding, a seasonal dessert for January.
This hearty, old-fashioned dessert is just what you remember from childhood, with an adult twist. Rich with white and dark chocolate, and a hint of orange, this bread pudding can be elevated to dinner party status. Decadent, yet perfect for a cold, rainy winter evening, it can be served on its own or with whipped cream or crème anglaise.
4-5 cups challah or brioche bread, cubed (fresh or day-old)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Zest of 2 oranges
10 1/2 ounces white chocolate, melted
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Cointreau or orange liqueur
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped roughly
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-cup soufflé dish or an 8-inch baking pan with at least 2-inch sides.
To toast the bread, place the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool in the baking sheet.
To make the custard, in a medium saucepan, bring the milk, 1/2 cup of cream, and the orange zest just to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside for 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, the remaining cream, salt, and orange liqueur. Stir in the warm milk mixture. Stir in the melted white chocolate.
Layer the toasted bread cubes and dark chocolate in the prepared pan. Using a fine-meshed sieve, strain the custard over the bread, pressing the bread down with your hands as you pour. Press the bread down into the custard so that it is covered by the custard. Set aside for 15 minutes so that the custard can soak into the bread.
Sprinkle the top of the custard with about 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the custard into a larger baking pan and fill the larger baking pan with hot water. The water should come up at least halfway on the sides of the custard-filled pan. This is a water bath. Carefully place the pans in the oven.
Bake the custard for about 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.
highlights
food blog: bay area bites
KQED kitchen
kim's biography
about KQED
