Sometimes the twist tie just didn’t get twisted tightly. Sometimes last night’s dinner party involved a bit too much wine and not enough bread. In any case, don’t dismiss the value of day-old bread. This artisanal treasure can be turned into a number of sweet and savory dishes that may actually (dare we say) be better than the loaf itself.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 13-by-9-inch bakin dish.
Pour the bread cubes into a large mixing bowl.
Add the semisweet and white chocolate chips to the bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric bowl, mix the eggs with œ cup of sugar until well combined. Gradually pour in the shipping cream, whole milk and vanilla. Mix again until just combined.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread and chocolate and stir well.
Pour the pudding into the buttered baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top of the pudding.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until the sides pull away a bit from the edges of the pan the custard is set in the middle.
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
6 oz. white chocolate chips
4 large eggs
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
2 cups whipping cream
½ cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
This article appears in November 2012.