Chocolate & Cranberry Bread Pudding Ormsby Hill

Chocolate & Cranberry Bread Pudding Ormsby Hill

8 croissants, cut into bite-size pieces
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1½ cups fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries
12 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

On a large baking sheet, dry the bread, uncovered, overnight.

Grease and coat with sugar a 9x13 pan.

Coarsely chop the chocolate.  In a food processor, finely chop the cranberries.  Arrange half of the bread in one layer in baking pan, and sprinkle evenly with the chocolate and cranberries.  Top the mixture with the remaining bread.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, milk, cream and vanilla and pour slowly over the bread mixture.  Cut the butter into bits and dot pudding with it.

Chill the pudding, covered, at least 1 hour and up to one day.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the pudding in middle of oven until slightly puffed and golden, about 40 minutes. Serve the pudding warm or at room temperature with sprinkling of confectioners sugar.

Serves 8