Friday, April 27, 2012

Mango Flavored Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding


There was a time when while eating in a restaurant, I used to follow the four course meal - appetizer, starter, main course and dessert. But these days, I totally exclude the dessert section. Because by the time I finish with soup and starter, my tummy is left with hardly any space to accommodate main course, forget dessert. So in restaurants I barely go for desserts these days.



However, at home it's a different story altogether. I make pudding, mousse, trifle and everything is consumed before even the main course of lunch or dinner is served. My hubby would come back from office and scour the refrigerator for some eatable and mousse, cake or pudding whatever there falls to his notice, he grabs and crams into his mouth. So at home the order of the four course meal goes total upside down with dessert coming first, main course in the middle and soup, if I prepare, comes at the last.



The most disgusting part of all is when while watching TV at night; my hubby sits with a packet of potato chips even after a heavy fulfilling dinner. So many a time I have asked, warned and pleaded him not to bring chips at home. It's not that I don't like them, but since I know my own limitations and weakness, I rather prefer not to carry fast food home than fighting with the temptation later and feel guilty afterwards for consuming more calories than necessary. But all my words go in his one ear and then out with the other.



Okay, now about the croissant pudding, if you have croissants (small or big ones) staling in your home for couple of days and you are at your wits' end as what to do with them, round up the ingredients mentioned below and set about baking the pudding. It's worth the effort, truly.

Ingredients:                                                Cooking time: 1 hr 40 minutes approx.
ü  12 croissants, 2-3 days old (cut into cube shapes)
ü  1 cup sugar
ü  1 chocolate bar (I have used Hershey's dark chocolate bar)
ü  2 tbsp mango flavored custard powder (you can use any flavor you want)
ü  2 cups of milk
ü  1 cup of whipping cream
ü  5 eggs
ü  1/2 cup of butter
Method:
1) In a saucepan, simmer milk and whipping cream together on stove. Stir continuously to prevent milk burning at the bottom. Meanwhile, in a cup, mix in custard sugar in 3 tbsp of milk. When milk and cream mixture on stove begins to bubble up a bit, add the custard powder diluted with milk. Stir vigorously to fold in the custard.
2) Turn the heat off and add the chocolate bar. Stir continuously till chocolate melts into the mixture.
3) Now, using a hand blender, whisk eggs and sugar to a mixture of smooth consistency. Add the chocolate mixture into this little by little, stirring continuously.
4) Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F or 180 degree C.
5) Grease a baking pan with butter, and then arrange the croissant pieces uniformly in it. Pour the egg and chocolate mixture over the croissants and if required, use a spoon to distribute the mixture proportionately everywhere. Drizzle butter at the top. Fold in. Let the breads soak the egg mixture for 15 minutes.

6) Then cover the baking pan with an aluminum foil. Poke few times into the foil to make couple of holes to let the steam out. Bake for about 45 minutes.
7) Take the pan out of the oven. Unfold the foil. Again bake uncovered this time, for about 35-40 minutes till the pudding puffs up and is all set. To ensure that the baking is complete, use a toothpick to poke at the centre of the pudding and if it comes out clean, your pudding is ready.
8) Serve warm with a scoop of your favourite ice-cream on top. (I like it without any ice-cream though.)

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