Blue Star Chocolate Bread Pudding with Chocolate Praline Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Source: The Blue Star, Colorado Springs, Colorado - Chef James Davis

Serves 10.

1 loaf chocolate bread, allowed to go stale
    and cut into bite-size pieces*
3 cups half-and-half
1 quart (4 cup) heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
10 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Purchased chocolate praline ice cream

Caramel Sauce :
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup heavy cream

Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place bread pieces in dish and set aside.

Heat half-and-half, cream and sugar in medium saucepan until it reaches a simmer. Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until melted.

In glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs and vanilla extract, being careful not to aerate by over-beating. Pour some of the warm chocolate mixture into eggs while stirring. Pour egg mixture back into remaining chocolate mixture. Pour over bread pieces and let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F if using a glass dish). Cover dish with foil and bake 45 minutes, or until set. Serve warm with chocolate praline ice cream and caramel sauce.

To make the sauce, bring sugar, water and lemon juice to boil in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until amber in color. Remove from heat and add cream. (Mixture will bubble wildly.) Stir until smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Nutrition data, per square with 1/2 cup ice cream: Calories 1,000 (59 percent from fat); fat 65.3 g (sat 38.4 g, mono 20 g, poly 3.7 g); protein 18 g; carbohydrates 87 g; fiber 3.60 g; cholesterol 331 mg; sodium 341 mg; calcium 286 mg