Chocolate Croissant Pudding
This dessert is an elegant variation on bread pudding. The bread is replaced by buttery croissants, and bittersweet chocolate is sprinkled among the croissants and custard, melting into both. Wild Turkey flavors the whiskey sauce.
Ingredients
- Croissants - 4
- Bittersweet Chocolate - 12 ounces, coarsely chopped
- Custard
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 3 cups
- Egg Yolks - 5, extra-large
- Sugar - 2/3 cup
- Vanilla Bean - 1
- Vanilla-Wild Turkey Sauce
- Egg Yolks - 4, extra-large
- Sugar - 1/3 cup
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 cup
- Milk - 1/2 cup
- Vanilla bean - 1 split
- Wild Turkey - 2 tablespoons
- Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Instructions
Tear or cut the croissants into pieces and place in four large ovenproof soup bowls. Sprinkle the chocolate over the croissant pieces.
Preheat the oven to 300 F. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the mixture; whisk to combine. Whisk in the cream and pour the mixture over the chocolate and croissants, nearly covering them. Bake 20 minutes; remove and keep warm.
To make the sauce: Bring the milk and cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the mixture; whisk to combine. Add a large spoonful of the hot milk mixture, then slowly pour the hot mixture into the eggs and sugar, whisking briskly as you pour. Put the pan back over medium heat and stir until it thickens slightly. Strain into bowl set in an ice bath and stir in the Wild Turkey.
To serve: Put the hot soup bowls on serving plates. Spoon Wild Turkey sauce over the croissant puddings. Dust the puddings and bowls with confectioner’s sugar; serve warm.
