Chocolate Cherry Croissant Bread Pudding Food

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, beat 4 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk and 3/4 cup sugar with wire whisk until well blended. Beat in milk, whipping cream and vanilla until well blended. Stir in 7 cups of the croissants pieces. Let stand 20 minutes. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Lightly press remaining 3 cups croissant pieces on top of mixture. Brush top of croissant pieces with butter; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle with dried cherries.
• Bake uncovered 55 to 65 minutes or until top is light golden brown (center will jiggle slightly). Cool 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and water until blended. Stir in frozen cherries. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve sauce over warm bread pudding. Store bread pudding and sauce covered in refrigerator.

CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.
• Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-DRIED CHERRY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dark chocolate chips in a large heatproof bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until well combined.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, milk, brandy, orange zest, vanilla seeds, salt, and granulated sugar to a boil; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot liquid over the dark chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth. While whisking constantly, pour the dark chocolate mixture into the eggs, mixing until combined. Add the bread and toss gently to coat. Transfer the bread mixture to the refrigerator and cool to room temperature. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cherries. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Put eight 4-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet and lightly coat them with cooking spray.
• Stir the bread pudding mixture to evenly distribute the chocolate chips and cherries. Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins. Sprinkle a little Turbinado sugar over the top of each pudding and bake until puffed and set, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Place pecans on a baking sheet.
• Toast pecans in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place torn croissants into the prepared baking pan. Pour milk over bread and let soak for 10 minutes.
• Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl using an electric mixer. Pour over bread mixture, blending well, using your hands if needed. Add toasted pecans, chocolate chips, and toffee bits. Mix well.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the center is cooked through and top is golden brown, about 1 hour.
• While bread pudding is baking, bring sugar, half-and-half, and butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and let custard simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove custard from heat and let cool slightly. Pour in vanilla extract and stir well.
• Remove bread pudding from oven and serve warm with custard sauce.

DARK CHOCOLATE CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place croissants in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; sprinkle with chocolate chunks. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until blended. Stir in milk, orange juice and vanilla; pour over top. Let stand about 15 minutes or until bread is softened., Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until puffed and golden brown; cover loosely with foil during last 10 minutes if top browns too quickly. Serve warm.

CHERRY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan over high heat, heat dried cherries and 3/4 cup water to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until cherries are tender.
• Meanwhile, grease shallow 3-quart casserole. Cut bread into 1-inch-thick slices.
• In very large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, egg whites, and eggs until well blended. Drain cherries, adding any liquid to egg mixture. Set cherries aside. Add bread slices to egg mixture; let soak 10 minutes, carefully turning slices occasionally for even soaking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange enough bread slices in bottom of casserole, in one layer, pushing slices together, to cover bottom. Sprinkle all but 1/4 cup cherries over bread in casserole. Arrange remaining bread, overlapping slices to fit, on top. Pour any egg mixture remaining in bowl over bread in casserole.
• Bake bread pudding 1 hour and 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, covering loosely with foil during last 10 to 15 minutes of baking if top of pudding begins to brown too quickly. Top with remaining cherries. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if you like. Serve warm. Or, refrigerate to serve cold later.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE ALMOND CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread butter on bottom and sides of a 9- to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. In a shallow container combine eggs, half-and-half, and almond extract; add croissants. Let soak 3 minutes, turning once. Place bottom halves of croissants, cut-side-up, in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the chocolate. Spoon on 1/2 cup LUCKY LEAF Cherry Pie Filling and 1/2 cup of the nuts. Add croissant tops, cut-sides down, remaining chocolate, another 1/2 cup pie filling and the remaining nuts. Pour on any remaining egg mixture.
• Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool on wire rack about 30 minutes.
• Heat remaining LUCKY LEAF Cherry Pie Filling and pass with bread pudding. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

INDIVIDUAL CROISSANT BREAD PUDDINGS WITH DRIED CHERRIES, BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, AND TOASTED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat to the oven to broil.
• Put the cherries in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 20 minutes, then drain.
• Spread the pecans out in a pie tin, place on the middle rack of the oven, and carefully watch for 1 to 2 minutes or until the nuts are golden. Cool, then chop.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease two ovenproof bowls (with 4-inch diameters) with canola oil.
• Add the heavy cream to a medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds from the pod into the liquid, then add the pod. Simmer over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, then remove the vanilla bean pod.
• Combine egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Slowly pour in the cream mixture while whisking.
• Tear the croissants into 6 pieces each and place in a medium bowl, then cover with the remaining cream and egg mixture. Allow the croissants to absorb the liquid for about 10 minutes. Add the cherries.
• Transfer the mixture into the prepared bowls and sprinkle the top of each bowl with the chocolate and toasted pecans. Place them in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until set, then serve.