Carmines Bread Pudding...the lazy way

We have a thing for Carmine's...it's a family style restaurant in NY, near to my aunt's house on the Upper West Side and we really like the food there. I had my 21st birthday there, and whenever Lynn comes, she brings meatballs down to my dad...so I guess it's a family thing. For Thanksgiving we couldn't find a Pecan Pie that we all agreed on, so I got the recipe for Carmine's bread pudding (they have a cookbook) and made it. YUM. However, since I'm lazy in the kitchen, I like to cut corners. Here is my version of the recipe, which skips the "individually toast and butter each slice of bread" part. Though if you have the time and desire, go for it! Everything else is the same....and if you want to switch it up a bit you can always substitute dried cherries for raisins...think of the bread as a blank canvas and go crazy! Also, I use my home made challa bread, but the original recipe calls for rustic bread.



Carmine's Chocolate Bread Pudding

• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 7 large eggs
• 3 cups heavy (whipping) cream
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
• 2 pounds day-old challa bread
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  
• whipped cream or ice cream (optional, for serving)
  

In a small bowl, cover raisins with hot water and soak them for until needed. (Alternately, microwave the raisins and water until the water boils) Drain and set aside (the raisins can soak while you make the custard).

To make the custard, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside.

Trim crust from bread and cut bread into 4-by-2-inch rectangles about 3/4 inch thick.

TO MAKE BREAD PUDDING:
Snugly line the bottom of a covered oven safe dish (or a loaf pan) with bread. Scatter a quarter of raisins and a quarter of the chocolate chips over the bread. Top with another layer of bread slices. Keep layering the pudding until there you have no more layers (generally 3-4 layers) and all the raisins, chocolate and bread are used. The top layer should be raisins and chocolate.

Melt the butter and mix into the custard (though it will sort of rise to the top and coagulate, when it comes into contact with the cool milk...yuo could probably leave the butter out too, though I've never tested it)

Gently pour the custard over the pudding so that it sinks down to the bottom and covers the top of the pudding. With the back of a spoon or spatula, press down on the bread to compact the pudding and distribute the custard.

Cover your dish (or cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil) and refrigerate at least 2 hours or for up to 12 hours. (You can also freeze pretty successfully at this stage)

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Put a deep roasting pan, large enough to hold the dish easily, on the rack. (If you have used a loaf pan covered with foil and plastic wrap, remove the foil and plastic wrap from the bread pudding. Discard plastic wrap and replace foil over the pan.) Set the loaf pan in the roasting pan and add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come half to three-quarters of the way up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake pudding about 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer poked through the foil comes out clean. (If it's not clean, return pudding to the oven and recheck every 15 minutes). Remove foil and allow to cool for 1 hour before serving.

TO SERVE:
Invert a serving platter over the pudding and, holding the platter in place over the loaf pan, turn it upside down to release the pudding onto the platter. Immediately turn the pudding upright. Serve slices with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.


*Note: the recipe says that it serves 6-10...I think it easily serves 12...it's really rich. Sometimes I cut the recipe in half (using 4 eggs) and bake it in a smaller dish...it then makes about 5 cups. It could also be cute baked in individual ramekins or mugs.