Inspired by the traditional French bakeries and fresh baked chocolate-filled croissants on his visit to Paris, Chef Johnny Carino decided bring the flaky dessert back home to the States. Starting with his already popular bread pudding recipe, Carino felt that the natural extension was to add croissants and chocolate to the mix. This delicate, yet rich chocolate croissant bread pudding topped with melted vanilla ice cream is so simple to make, it just might turn into your go-to dessert when your sweet tooth craving hits.
By Chef Johnny Carino
Ingredients:
8 cups day-old croissants
2 cups high-quality, semi-sweet chocolate, in chunks
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 eggs, beaten
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the croissants into large cubes, about 1x1-inch, and place in a large bowl. Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except the ice cream, and mix well by hand. Coat a 9x11-inch baking pan with pan spray or butter. Evenly distribute the bread mixture in the pan, and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 minutes. Just before serving, melt the ice cream in a saucepan. Serve warm with the melted ice cream drizzled over each serving.