Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine warmed milk and melted butter with the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until incorporated and smooth.
• Line a large baking dish with two-thirds of the challah slices. Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips and half the raisins. Top with remaining challah slices, layering them one on top of the other, and then remaining chocolate chips and raisins, making sure the chips and raisins get inside the layers created by the challah slices.
• Pour milk mixture slowly over the top of everything and let stand until the bread has absorbed almost all of the liquid, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Wrap the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer until set in the middle and lightly browned on top.
• Remove from oven and let cool before serving. Serve with the Chocolate Ganache drizzled over top.
• Chocolate Ganache:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream to just below a simmer.
• Place the chocolate chips in a medium heat-proof bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove plastic wrap and whisk vigorously until ganache becomes a uniform smooth chocolate sauce. Serve while warm.
• Cook's Note: To make in advance, let cool, cover tightly and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Then microwave on low heat for 20 to 30 second intervals or heat over a double boiler.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk the first 11 ingredients until blended. Gently stir in bread; let stand until bread is softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in raisins, apples and walnuts. Dot with cold butter., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until puffed, golden, and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

Steps:

• The day before you want to serve this dessert, if possible, put raisins in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and drain. Place plumped raisins in a plastic container with a tight-fitting cover and sprinkle with the rum. Cover and let macerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt the butter and cool slightly.
• Cut the challah in half, and cut one of the halves into thin slices. Cut remaining bread into cubes.
• Put diced challah in the bottom of the baking dish. Strew with the raisins and rum and half the butter. Dip one side of each slice of challah into the butter and arrange, slightly overlapping and buttered side up, over the top of diced challah and raisins.
• Combine the milk, cream and sugar, and vanilla bean in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and allow to stand 3 minutes; whisk smooth.
• Whisk eggs until combined in a large mixing bowl, then strain the milk mixture into the eggs and beat them together. Do not overbeat or the custard will have a great deal of foam on the surface. Strain the custard back into the pan and use a large spoon to skim any foam from the surface. Pour the custard over the challah.
• Place the baking dish in another larger pan and pour warm water into it to come halfway up the side of the baking dish. Bake the bread pudding for about 45 minutes, until the custard is set and the challah is an even color.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and 1 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside while you measure out the other dry ingredients, or until frothy.
• Whisk 3 1/2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 egg, the vegetable oil and 1 cup warm water; stir until combined. Gradually stir in the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour until the dough starts to come together. Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a ball, then roll each ball into a 1 1/2-to-2-inch-wide strand, about 16 inches long. Lay the strands side by side on a sheet of parchment paper and pinch them together at one end.
• Braid the 3 strands: Cross the right strand over the middle strand. Then cross the left strand over the middle strand. Repeat, crossing the right strand over the middle strand, then the left over the middle, until all of the dough is braided. Pinch the dough together at the end.
• Slide the loaf (with the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash all over the loaf. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Prepare bread pudding: Put challah pieces in a large bowl; add half-and-half. Cover and let sit for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Whisk sugar, eggs, melted butter, and almond extract together. Stir into the challah mixture. Fold in almonds and raisins and pour into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven; keep the oven on.
• Mix together confectioners' sugar, melted butter, amaretto liqueur, and egg for sauce. Pour over bread pudding and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve warm.