Recipe - Engine Co. No. 28 Chocolate Bread Pudding

6 cup French bread; crust removed
& minced One fourth inch
2 One half cup Milk
9 ounce Chocolate, semisweet;
chopped coarsely
Three fourths cup Butter, unsalted; softened
1 cup Sugar; plus 1 T
7 Eggs
Three fourths teaspoon Vanilla
1 ds Cinnamon
Creme Anglaise
Berries, mint sprigs, &
powdered sugar (opt)

Place cubed bread in bowl. Add 2 cup milk to absorb. Heat remaining One half c
milk over low heat, and add chocolate. Stir occasionally until chocolate
melts. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a
time. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate mixture. Fold in bread
mixture and let stand 20 minutes.

Grease 2 One half quart pudding mold or use 2 8x4 inch loaf pans or 8inch round
or square cake pans, and line with parchment paper. Pour mixture into mold
and cover with foil. Tie top with kitchen string to keep out any moisture
from steam if pan does not have cover or lip large enough for crimping
foil.

Steam about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted near center
comes out clean. Remove lid or foil and cool slightly on rack. Invert mold
onto plate, and remove parchment, if used. Cool to room temperature, then
wrap and refrigerate of serving more than a few hours later.

To serve, cut pudding into 12 wedges if round pan is used or into slices
for loaf. Spoon Creme Anglaise onto dessert dish and place wedge or slab
over sauce. Or lace sauce over pudding. Garnish with berries, sprigs of
mint, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini