From the Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook, Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez and the Bakers of Hot Bread Kitchen
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 ounce) can of evaporated milk
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound day old challah, torn into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoons sugar
Mexican Chocolate Sauce:
- 7 ounces/200 g Mexican chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ounce/30 g bittersweet chocolate
- ½ cup heavy cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 F
- Whisk together the eggs, all three milks, 2 teaspoons of the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. Add the bread, almonds, and the raisins and use your hands to mix everything together. Let everything sit for 5 minutes to let the bread absorb the mixture.
- Coat a 2 ½ quart/2.3 liter baking dish with the butter. Transfer the bread mixture to the dish. Bake the bread pudding until the top is browned and the pudding is set, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Let the bread pudding cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- While it’s cooling, combine the cream and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Whisk in the sugar.
- Serve the bread pudding warm topping with the whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
Mexican Chocolate Sauce:
Makes 1 ⅓ cup
This sauce takes bread pudding or even a plain bowl of vanilla ice cream to another level. Mexican chocolate has sugar and cinnamon, which adds the characteristic spice. If you can’t track it down, feel free to substitute an equal amount of chopped dark chocolate and add a hefty pinch of ground cinnamon.
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boli and then reduce to a simmer. Put the two chocolates and the cream into a heatproof bowl and put it on top of the saucepan. Make sure the water isn’t directly touching the bowl (if it is, simply pour a bit out). Heat the mixture, stirring, until the chocolates are completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Serve immediately. If you would like to make the sauce ahead, let it cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in the double boiler.
