Just in case Applesauce Bread Pudding and Pumpkin Bread Pudding sounded too healthy to fool anyone into thinking they were dessert, this week I went for Chocolate Bread Pudding. This is so rich-tasting that after his first serving, my husband refused to eat any more. He relented when I told him the creaminess comes from the magic of skim milk, eggs, and bread and the dark chocolate goodness is just cocoa and the few chocolate chips from the Chocolate Chip Bread.

The taste of this Chocolate Bread Pudding is so dark and barely sweet that children will probably prefer it with a sweetened whipped cream. For a festive occasion (New Year’s Eve?), top it with hard sauce for the adults.

Chocolate Bread Pudding and a cup of peppermint tea for the perfect cozy winter snack

Chocolate Bread Pudding
10 slices bread (I used 2 slices of whole wheat and the rest Chocolate Chip Bread)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup raw sugar
3 cups milk
2 eggs

1. Cube the bread. If the bread is very fresh, allow the cubes to dry for an hour or so.

2. In a microwaveable container, stir 1 cup of the milk into the cocoa and sugar. Heat in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between each until the lumps mostly disappear.

3. Stir in the other 2 cups of milk. Pour the milk mixture over bread cubes, tossing until all cubes are moistened. Allow to sit in refrigerator for an hour or so to let the bread cubes absorb the liquid.

4. Spoon the mixture into a baking pan or the bread machine bucket. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size and shape of the pan) or bake in the bread machine on the “bake only” setting for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

This is my post for Weekend Cooking. Check Beth Fish Reads today for more links to more culinary posts around the web.

I’m also linking this to Saturday Snapshot at West Metro Mommy Reads as I continue to work on my food photography.

Do you want to improve your cooking or your photography in the New Year? Check out the New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge!