Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding

Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding

Serves 16

Ingredients

⅔ cup Kirsch, Grand Marnier or orange juice
1 ½ cups (about 10 oz.) dried cherries
1 loaf (roughly 12 oz.) Kowalski's Artisan Challah Bread, cut into 1 ½" pieces
¼ cup Kowalski's Unsalted Butter, melted
10 oz. semisweet dark chocolate, such as Scharffen Berger brand
6 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup mascarpone cheese
1 tsp. Kowalski's Organic Madagascar Vanilla Extract
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting
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Directions
  1. In a small saucepan, heat Kirsch over medium-low heat until just simmering.
  2. Remove from heat; stir in cherries. Let stand, covered, for 1 hr.
  3. In an extra-large mixing bowl, drizzle bread with butter; toss to coat.
  4. Pour ½ of the bread into a 3 qt. glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; scatter ⅔ of the chocolate over the bread.
  5. Spoon ⅔ of the cherries, including soaking liquid, over the chocolate; top with remaining bread.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, sugar, cream, cheese and vanilla; pour into baking dish.
  7. Cover baking dish with waxed paper; weigh paper down on the sides using sticks of butter, bags of shredded cheese, etc.; let stand for 45 min. to overnight.
  8. Remove weights and waxed paper; cover with foil.
  9. Bake bread pudding in a preheated 350° oven for 45 min.
  10. Uncover; continue bake until pudding is set and barely wiggles in the center (about 30 min. more).
  11. Scatter remaining chocolate and soaked cherries on top of pudding; let stand for 30 min.
  12. Dust with confectioners' sugar; serve warm.

Find It!

  • Find Kowalski's Artisan Challah Bread in the Bakery Department.

Original recipe by Cheese Specialist Dexa Franks.