Recipe #53 - Mandarin Orange and Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding

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Dessert attempt number two: bread pudding. When I worked at a sushi restaurant in Knoxville, they served a bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream. I only had it once and wasn't the biggest fan. I found it to be extremely bland. But I saw this recipe, in the same Simply Southern mentioned previously (getting my moneys worth!), that had incorporated a fruit and it caught my interest. 

Start by chopping the chocolate bars in to tiny pieces. Then cut the bread up in to 1/2" size pieces. In a large bowl,  combine bread cubes, oranges, and chocolate. 

In a small saucepan, heat cream and sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and orange zest. Gradually add eggs, whisking until combined. 

Pour cream mixture over bread mixture. Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until center is set. Serve immediately. 

Two words: rich and moist. I couldn't even finish the serving above. The oranges seemed to take care of the blandness I experienced previously. It made the batter more sweet and zesty. It was so good!

Rating: 10

Time: 1 hour

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

8 cups (1/2-inch) cubed baguette bread

2 (8 1/4-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained and cut in half

2 (4-ounce) bars dark chocolate, chopped

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange zest

4 large eggs, lightly beaten