CHOCOLATE
Bread Pudding

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

There is only one way to improve upon basic bread pudding, and that is to add chocolate (and lots of it, too). This is one of those desserts that always elicits a long “Oh… my… God…” from guests. If you really want to get fancy, add a cacao nib cookie to the top of each serving, as we do at the restaurants. However, trust me—this dessert is chocolate-y enough on it’s own. Serve warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

3 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 70% cacao), finely chopped

¾ cup sugar

8 large egg yolks

12 ounces day-old brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, about 6 cups

Softened butter, for the baking dish

Vanilla ice cream or Whipped Cream (here), for serving

8 Cacao Nib Lace Cookies (here, optional)

1. Heat the cream, milk, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean halves together in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tiny bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Using the tip of a small knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the liquid and discard the pod. Reheat the cream mixture until steaming.

2. Place the chocolate in a very large heatproof bowl. Pour in about half of the hot cream mixture and whisk until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Whisk in the remaining cream mixture. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl until pale yellow. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the chocolate mixture, then whisk this back into the large bowl. Stir in the brioche cubes. Let the mixture stand, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes for the bread to soak up some of the liquid.

3. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

4. Pour the bread mixture into the dish. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about ½ inch up the sides. Transfer the pan setup to the oven and bake until the pudding has puffed evenly and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1¼ hours. Let cool until warm, about 20 minutes.

5. Cut the pudding into 8 equal portions. Transfer each to a dessert plate and top with a scoop of the ice cream. If desired, stick a cookie, standing up, in each ice cream scoop. Serve immediately.

PEANUT BUTTER
AND JELLY
“TWINKIES”

MAKES 18 TWINKIES

I love desserts that bring out the kid in me. This variation of the classic Twinkie combines submarine-shaped cakes with another childhood favorite, peanut butter and jelly. You will need silicone pans with log-shaped molds (sometimes called Christmas, buche, or yule log molds), which can be found online at bakedeco.com and amazon.com. The room-temperature cakes are easiest to fill with preserves that are chilled.

TWINKIE CAKES

Softened butter and flour, for the molds

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1¼ cups (175 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup whole milk

½ cup smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced

1 cup strawberry preserves

1 cup smooth peanut butter

½ cup finely crushed honey-roasted peanuts

Special Equipment: 2 (9-cup) or 1 (24-cup) Christmas, buche, or yule log silicone (sometimes called Flexipan) baking pans, each mold measuring about 3image by 1⅜ inches; round bristle brush (optional); 2-ounce portion scoop (optional); chopstick or mini–melon baller; 2 small (12-inch) pastry bags; 2 (image-inch) plain pastry tips, such as Ateco #801

1. To make the cakes: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour the insides of 18 log silicone molds, taking extra care not to leave any gaps (a round bristle brush works best); shake out the excess flour. Do not skip this step because the molds are flexible, but not actually nonstick. Place the pans on an 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pan.

2. Beat the eggs in the bowl of a standing heavy-duty mixer with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed until thickened. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture is thick, fluffy, and tripled in volume, about 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Bring the milk, peanut butter, and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan, being sure the butter is melted. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold it in with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the 18 molds, filling them about three-quarters full. (A 2-ounce-capacity portion scoop works best for transferring the batter.)

4. Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed gently with a fingertip, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans. Do not rush this step. Run a dull knife around the inside of the molds, and carefully unmold the cakes.

5. Puree the preserves in a mini–food processor or blender, being sure to pulverize the chunks of fruit. Transfer to a small bowl and freeze until thickened but semi-fluid, at least 30 minutes.

6. Fit each of two small (12-inch) pastry bags with a image-inch plain pastry tip. Using a chopstick, poke a hole through the center of each cake. (A mini–melon baller also works very well to scoop out a tunnel for the filling.) Fill one end of the tunnel with preserves and the other side with peanut butter; reserve the remaining peanut butter and preserves. (The cakes can be loosely covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 8 hours.)

7. Put the Twinkies on a platter. Decorate the tops with the reserved peanut butter and preserves. Sprinkle with the peanuts and serve.