Challah at ya' girl.....

Y'all know I bought two loaves of that Challah bread and only used one...well...it's been a few days...and well, I've always wanted to make a bread pudding...and I absolutely will NOT waste good food...so...I hunted down a recipe...and it may be the death of me...I doubt I will eat any of this, either...
My name is Melissa....I am a Chocoholic.....
and this is:

White Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding
from The Figs Table
"This is no run-of-the-mill bread pudding: luscious, smooth, and sensual, it's like sex on a spoon." ~The Global Gourmet

7 large egg yolks
2 whole eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups heavy cream*
1 cup milk*
1/2 cup sugar**
10 ounces white chocolate, about 2 cups chopped
4 cups challah cubes, about 1 loaf crusts removed, if desired***
*I used 2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups half and half
**I used Splenda Blend, which means I used 1/4 cup of it
***I cut the crusts off the bottom and pulled from the top...if some stuck, then...OH well!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the egg yolks, eggs, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. Place the cream, milk, and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until scalded, or when bubbles begin to form around the edges and it has not quite come to a boil, about 7 minutes. Add the white chocolate and mix until fully melted. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking all the while. It might help to have a third hand around to pour. Place the bread cubes in an 8 x 8-inch pan and cover with the egg-cream mixture. Pour slowly and give a little bit of time for the bread to start soaking up the liquid. I used a disposable 8x8 aluminum pan and it fit in with no problem at all. Press the cubes down (I didn't push down much, as I wanted the bread to kind of poke up, but I made sure it was all covered) and let rest for 15 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and place in a larger pan filled halfway with very hot water. I used my roasting pan that I use for my Thanksgiving turkey...perfect size...well, this part is funny, but...you know I used that aluminum pan...well, when I placed it in the pan of water...it floated!! HAHA!  

Transfer to the oven (and if your pan is floating like mine was, just center it best you can once it's in there...turned out fine! ha!) and bake until firm and, when touched in the middle, the custard does not show up on your finger, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Mine seemed to be ready after an hour. My oven is gas and tends to run a little warmer. Check to see if you need to replenish the water after 30 minutes. If so, add enough to keep the water level at the halfway point. I didn't have to add water. 

Serve warm with fresh berries, Raspberry Sauce, or Caramel Sauce.

I plan to serve this with a Raspberry Sauce....I love the way raspberry tastes with white-chocolate...and it looks really pretty....

Raspberry Sauce & Topping
adapted from Cookie Madness

1 (10 oz) bag frozen raspberries*
1/4 cup sugar**
1/4 water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
*I used about 12 oz fresh raspberries
**I used Splenda Blend, which means I used 2 tbsp of it


Place raspberries in a saucepan and cook on low until they are thawed. Skip this step if you are using fresh raspberries. So, yeah, I threw the berries and Splenda Blend in the pan. Add sugar to saucepan and turn heat to medium. 

In a separate bowl, stir together water and cornstarch. Pour over raspberries and stir mixture until it beings to boil, thicken and clear. 

Remove from heat. Place a sieve over a bowl and pour berry sauce through sieve, pressing so that the sauce goes into the bowl and the seeds stay behind. This was no fun...who knew that raspberries were 90% seeds???? ugh!!!

Stir lemon juice intro strained raspberry sauce. I love my little $2 spout that pokes right into a lemon and the juice pours right out...just sayin'....

Normally, I would use my "goto" recipe for my dessert dumplings, where I can change the fruit out very easily...I've decided to try this one....
...will update with photos....

much love,

OK, UPDATE: 8.20.10
First, Challah bread is my new favorite thing...why have I never had this before?  You can do EVERYTHING with it...so, I looked into it...turns out it's traditionally a Jewish bread...ok, so now I guess I know why it's possible I never happened along it...Second, if you are watching your egg intake...this recipe is NOT for you...I'll have to post on my education of Challah bread, soon...very interesting...
Ok, so...this bread pudding is to die for...I saw my father the day I made it, so I sent some home with him to my mother.  She was talking once about how her mother made bread pudding, long ago...my grandmother is no longer with us (I hope she is resting peacefully), so I promised myself that one day, I would make bread pudding for my mother...Mom loved it!  *happy dance
Ok....I forgot to take a few pictures that I wanted, but, I was moving right along...I'll have to have someone snap photos for me, from now on...(this is still a new thing, so I'll get better....hopefully)
I'm going to try to plug them in where they go in the recipe...wish me luck...
I only had 2 servings of this...2 days apart...I had it warm, right out of the oven...delish....my first experience with bread pudding...the second time, I had it cold...it was good, but I prefer it warm...
I am definitely going to try a more traditional bread pudding...sans white chocolate...and I may add it to my Thanksgiving or Christmas meal...I try to add something new each year...and one holiday, nothing will fit on the table...haha!!!  I can't wait for the holidays!!!!
much love,