Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding Recipe

• Difficulty: Easy
• Servings: 8
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 min (including cooling)
• Active Prep Time: 20 min
• Nutritional Information per serving (1 of 8): Calories 606, Total Fat 36 g, Saturated Fat 21 g, Carbohydrates 57 g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sugar 32 g, Protein 13 g, Cholesterol 187 mg, Sodium 325 mg

I am passionate about minimizing waste, so whenever I have leftover bread, I try to make sure it doesn't go to waste. That's why I often experiment with different bread pudding recipes. The combination of chocolate and cherries is always a winner.

Pudding Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 48 jarred wild cherries, such as Amarena Fabbri, plus 1/2 cup liquid from the jar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Pinch of fine salt
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup dark chocolate (63 percent cocoa)
• 1 baguette, medium diced

Brandy Whipped Cream Ingredients:

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Special Equipment:

• Eight 4-ounce ramekins

Preparation Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, cherry jar liquid, maple syrup, and salt, then bring the mixture to a boil.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. In a larger mixing bowl, place the dark chocolate.
4. Slowly pour the warm liquid over the dark chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts completely. Gradually stir in the eggs. Add the diced baguette and allow it to soak for 30 minutes.
5. Drop a cherry into each of the eight 4-ounce ramekins, then fill each ramekin with the bread pudding mixture.
6. Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
7. For the brandy whipped cream: whip the cold heavy cream together with the brandy and granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Serve the bread pudding warm topped with this whipped cream.