Chocolate Cherry Brioche Pudding – Happy Easter!

It’s nearly Easter time – hot cross buns, family get-togethers, the Easter bunny and of course…..CHOCOLATE!

I have to admit, I have been partaking in far too much chocolate recently, so rather than another chocolate recipe, I have decided to offer you this as my Easter contribution.

My husband woo-ed me with this dish. Well, it was a much sweeter, gluten-ful version!  And it was LOVE at first bite!

Many moons ago (when we were still trying to impress each-other), my yet-to-be husband and I would plan intimate little dinner parties for two, with lavish 3 course meals inspired by extensive research of my cookbook collection. (This was before the internet was even considered a recipe resource.) One did the cooking for the other, and we would alternate spoiling each-other with a fine dining experience in our own home. The one that wasn’t cooking was banned from the kitchen while the cook spent the day (sometimes two) toiling over a hot stove as an expression of love. Aaaawwww! I think back to those meals with fondness, when life was simpler and everything was rose coloured! I should have done this post for Valentines day but I wasn’t organised enough!

I’m not sure where he got this recipe from but it has been stored in the back of my mind as one of those special but rarely visited treats as it would have never have jumped out at me to make myself.

I never had bread and butter pudding as a kid, it seemed so alien to me. Those I encountered as an adult were always stodgy, heavy affairs, often served cold which offered no appeal to me. Something about this recipe resonated with my husband (as he did grow up with bread and butter pudding) and I am so glad that he introduced it to me all those years ago.

The secret is to use brioche instead of bread – and less of it. This recipe is almost a custard pudding rather than a bread pudding as it is amazingly light – but rich! It is studded with chocolate and cherries which makes it as decadent a dessert as you will find – and one certainly worth being woo-ed with!

You can certainly substitute the cream with coconut cream and the milk for nut milk but don’t tell my husband as he would be horrified! I used a 600g bottle of pitted cherries and had some leftover.  Try to find a light and airy brioche or panettone although finding a gluten-free one might prove difficult so I tend to make my own. Don’t worry – it IS worth it!  This will make a great dessert for your family Easter feast as it can be done the day before, or certainly prepared in the morning. Have a Happy Easter!

3 extra large eggs (4 if smaller)

250g cream

250g milk

2 tabs sugar* (or Natvia)

pinch cinnamon

vanilla

350g brioche (stale)

200g cherries, drained

120g chocolate chips

200g drained cherry juice

2 teas cornflour

1 tab port or sherry

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

In a wide bowl whisk the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon & vanilla well.

Roughly chop the brioche into 1 inch dice. Place into the bowl with the drained cherries and chocolate and mix the custard in gently, trying to avoid breaking up the bread. This is certainly not health food!

Tip into a greased baking dish and let stand for at least an hour or overnight and bake for 45 minutes, turning the oven down to 160°C after 5 minutes of putting it in the oven.

While it is baking, make the cherry sauce by adding the cherry juice, cornflour and port to the TM and cook on SP 3 at 100°C for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Serve the pudding warm with the cooled cherry sauce with fresh cream.

*I find that the chocolate and cherries sweeten this enough, but add more to taste.