I was so excited for Spring and now we’re expecting snow! Again. So until actual Spring comes, I’ll just keep having dates with citrus and chocolate and carbs. That’s what Winter’s for, right? That’s why I made you this orange chocolate chip bread pudding.
I’m fully taking advantage of this gloomy weather though. By doing a lot of things, one of which is reading. If you remember my challenge, one of my goals for this year is to read more fiction. I have my selection for now, which I’ll share with you soon. Hopefully I read all the books by the end of summer, so I can then find new ones for winter! Another winter, ha.
Anyway, I’ve recently finished reading The woman in the window, which was book #1 on my list. Anyone read it? And do you know they’re turning it into a movie? I’m so excited, as I’ve really enjoyed this book. Loved the tone and everything.
Now, this post isn’t about books, I know and I don’t want to give too much away anyway. Just thought I’d share what I’ve been doing outside of the kitchen. But… back into the kitchen we go, to this amazing orange chocolate chip bread pudding. I make it with challah. Surprise, surprise. (You know how much I love challah bread pudding. )
Think of this pudding like a sophisticated Jaffa cake. Have you ever tried a Jaffa cake? A classic Jaffa cake is a sponge-like biscuit, topped with orange jelly and dipped in chocolate. More unique in texture than in flavor I think, but overall Jaffa cakes are still very distinct and you can’t really compare them to anything. But I love the flavor pairing. Oranges and chocolate? Yeah, you can’t miss with that.
Well, Jaffa cakes are such a childhood thing for me, so I made myself an adult Jaffa-like treat in the form of this orange chocolate chip bread pudding. It hits just the right spot. It’s spongey, custardy, full of little pools of chocolate and incredibly aromatic because of all the orange zest and juice.
Just like any bread pudding, this one is so simple to make. It takes lees time to make, than it takes to bake, which is always both amazing and horrible at the same time. I like effortless treats, but I hate waiting for them to bake! However, this pudding is so worth the wait.
If you love a really gooey bread pudding, you’ll see this isn’t a gooey type. It has that perfect ratio of liquid to bread and creates just the right amount of custard. That way you can slice up this pudding very nicely. If you want the gooey, sticky, eat-it-with-a-spoon type, you definitely need to add more milk and cream. But these are silly little technicalities and adjusting this to your taste shouldn’t be a problem.
Once baked, you can pair this orange chocolate chip bread pudding with either whipped cream or ice cream. Or you could make a sauce, if those are more up your alley. However, I’m a sucker for whipped cream. It’s pleasantly light compared to chocolate and citrus. Also, if you put whipped cream on warm pudding, it begins to melt and it creates a kind of cream sauce. Totally amazing! And once again so effortless.
This is another win, you guys!
Orange chocolate chip bread pudding
Easy to make, decadent bread pudding.
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
Ingredients
- 300g (10oz) challah bread (brioche or similar work too)
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- 80g (1/2 cup) chocolate chips
- 160ml (2/3 cup) whole milk
- 160ml (2/3 cup) whipping cream
- 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large (4 medium) eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- zest of 1 large organic orange
For serving
- whipped cream or ice cream (optional)
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F), with a rack placed in the center of the oven. Butter your baking dish and set aside.
- Slice bread into small chunks (about 5×2 cm or 2×1 inch in size – or smaller). Transfer them to a non-stick pan, set over low heat and toast bread until it’s golden and dried out. (Skip this step if you’re using older bread.) Transfer bread to baking dish and drizzle butter over the bread. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, salt and eggs. Then stir in orange juice and zest. Pour mixture over the bread and let it stand for 30 minutes (or overnight – in the fridge).Using a spoon, push down any piece of bread that is poking out of the liquid.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until it’s puffy, light brown in color and the custard has set. Check bread pudding every 15 minutes as it bakes. If you notice the bread is getting too dark too soon, loosely cover the top with aluminium foil and keep baking.
- Remove bread pudding from oven, sprinkle with sugar, slice and serve. I offer whipped cream on the side, for anyone that likes it. (This bread pudding is best served fresh, however I always store leftover bread pudding in the fridge for up to 2 days, as it still tastes good.)
Notes
I use an oblong baking dish to make this, approximate size is 18×22 cm or 7×9 inches. You can also use an 20-cm (8-inch) square pan or any similar size.
This looks so good and so pretty, too!
Thank you Bethany! And it’s so simple to make 🙂
I think we can top it with ice creams too, that will look and taste even good.
Yes, ice cream is great!