God Save The Queen! and Chocolate Bread Pudding!

Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you know the Brits are going mad for "The Central Weekend" (June 2-5) celebrating The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking 60 years of The Queen's reign! The celebration includes the shift of the late May Bank Holiday, thereby making a 4-day weekend, The Queen attending the Epsom Derby, "The Big Jubilee Lunch," in which people are encouraged to share lunch with neighbors and friends, essentially making a large street party, "The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageants," consisting of up to 1,000 boats assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth, and around the world, a BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace, "The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Beacons," where a network of 2,012 beacons will be lit by communities throughout the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Commonwealth, and concluding with the "Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession" at St. Paul's Cathedral on the 5th. That's quite a party!

So, if you're feeling the urge to have your own celebration, why not make Steak, Guinness, and Cheese Pie, and finish with a proper bread pudding, a true English classic! This recipe for "Chocolate Bread Pudding," is smashing! It makes good use of leftover bread, and can simply be dusted with powdered sugar and topped off with whipped cream, and/or whiskey, rum, or caramel sauce. In addition, you can add a tablespoon or two of booze to the custard mix, just to make it extra festive! So Cheers and Happy Jubilee!

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

6 cups, crust-less French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 3/4 cups whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

Powdered sugar and whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

Butter an 8"x8"x2" glass baking dish. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with the butter, toss to coat. Transfer bread to the prepared dish. Bring the milk and cream just to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk the sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture. Pour custard over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. (Some of the custard will not be absorbed.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the pudding until just set, when the center moves slightly when the dish is shaken, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a dollop of whipped cream and Bob's your uncle!