nutella bread pudding

nutella bread pudding

• 2.17.2013

I'm fully aware that they didn't have nutella in Downton Abbey days.

I almost care about historical accuracy but then I realize I've been nearly nutella free since before Thanksgiving. And, I really wanted some nutella. I also really wanted to eat more of the vanilla ice cream that was in my freezer (leftovers from the Apple Charlotte).

All those things considered, I elected to make Nutella Bread Pudding. And let me tell you, as soon as I licked the knife clean... I knew I had made the right decision. That stuff is good. 

For this Downton Dinner, we kicked it off with the asparagus parmesan tart then had some Irish stew. It was a bit of a rich meal for sure. I figured it would make sense to try and make this a lighter version of bread pudding. A little bit of research meant using light cream as opposed to heavy cream and using french bread over some other types. Since I love buying fresh bread, I was on board with this. Plus, a French Baguette is only $2 at Bricco Panetteria.

Despite the anxiety that comes with whisking hot milk / cream into egg ... this was a really easy dessert. Great for making a bit in advance and great for ramekins. Oh, and we skipped drinks this time in part because we were just a little full and tired. But let it be known that we had some Irish Whiskey on hand should we have pushed forward with cocktails.

End result? This was great and super delicious. I could have used a bit more of the custard mixture but it all worked out just fine honestly. 

Here's how it goes.

(Step 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease your baking dish or dishes in preparation.

(Step 2) Cut the baguettes in half and make 6 sandwiches with the bread and nutella. Cut each sandwich into smaller pieces. Use your judgement on size, but not too small. Pile the sandwich pieces into the prepared baking dish.

(Step 3) In a small saucepan, combine the cream, salt, and vanilla and cook over medium heat until warm.

(Step 4) In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Slowly add the cream mixture, stirring constantly to make sure the eggs do not cook. Anxiety central.

(Step 5) Pour the mixture over the bread and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

(Step 6) Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil after about 20 minutes. The finished pudding will be golden brown on top.

(Step 7) You can either eat in the ramekins or remove to a slightly different dish. As you might be able to tell from the pictures, I removed from the ramekins and topped with some vanilla ice cream (leftovers from the Apple Charlotte!).

Adapted from this recipe 

Shopping List (for 2 people)

6 inches (or so) of baguette for each person = 1/2 a baguette total for 2

1/2 cups nutella

3/4 cup light cream

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup sugar

1 large eggs