Recipe - Italian Chocolate Bread Pudding (Bodino Nero)

Fine dry bread crumbs, for
coating the pan
3 One half ounce Semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup Whole milk
2 lg Eggs
One fourth cup Sugar
4 cup (about 3 ounces) cubed (1/2
inch), dayold French or
Italian bread, crusts
removed (semolina bread
works well)
Confectioners' sugar, for
serving
Softly whipped cream, for
serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, with a rack in the center. Butter an 8inch
springform pan or a 6cup ring or other mold; coat with bread crumbs,
shaking out the excess. Wrap the exterior bottom and sides of the
springform pan in foil, forming a tight seal where the sides join; set
aside.

2. Combine the chocolate and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir occasionally until the chocolate is partially melted. Remove from the
heat and stir until completely smooth.

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until combined. Whisk in the
chocolate mixture; fold in the bread cubes. If the bread is quite dry, let
the mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes, so the bread absorbs some of the
liquid.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Cover the top with a buttered
sheet of foil, buttered side down. Set the pan in a roasting pan and place
in the oven. Pour in enough hot tap water to reach about halfway up the
sides of the pan.

5. Bake until the pudding is nearly set, but still slightly wobbly, about
35 minutes (the timing can vary based on the size and depth of the pan; do
not overbake).

6. Carefully remove the pan from the water bath and cool to lukewarm on a
wire rack. Run the tip of a knife around the edges of the pudding; remove
the sides, if you are using a springform pan. Serve on a platter without
inverting. (If using a ring mold, invert the pudding and lift off the
mold.) Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve warm, with softly
whipped cream.

Recipe is from _Classic Home Desserts_ by Richard Sax. Posted to EATL
Digest 08 Mar 97 by Felicia Pickering MNHAN063@SIVM.SI.EDU on Mar 9, 1997