Decadent: Biscotti Bread Pudding

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This dessert should be illegal.
It is so good, so decadent, as most bread puddings are.

Custard, crushed cookies, bread and chocolate? Are you kidding me?

I got the idea from Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes
In the book there is a recipe for Biscotti Budino, a cold uncooked pudding, that firms up in the fridge after tempering egg yolks with leftover crushed cookies and leaving it overnight in the fridge.

Since I had a leftover baguette that was going to be made into breadcrumbs and leftover cantuccini (little almond biscotti), I decided to make up my own version to bake in the oven, similar to a panettone bread pudding.



I baked it in a loaf pan, so I could slice it, and it came out beautifully.

I truly guessed on the measurements, and the taste and consistency just came out right.
Bread puddings are very forgiving. Some people like a firmer version with less custard, and some prefer a more eggy loose pudding. There are no rules, except don't use lowfat milk.

If you don't have leftover biscotti (who really does?), then you can use cookies, ginger snaps or shortbread.

Let's call this a bread pudding cake. We loved it.

Make sure you do extra minutes on the stair master after this one.

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Biscotti Bread Pudding:

1 1/2 cups of crumbled biscotti (I used little almond cantuccini)
3 cups (half of a crusty baguette) torn into cubes
1/2 cup sugar
4 squares of bittersweet chocolate (I used Belgian 72% cacao)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups of whole milk or heavy cream (if you dare!)
3 eggs



Chop the chocolate into shavings with a heavy knife and add it to the chopped biscotti cookies and bread cubes. Add the sugar and cornstarch.



Mix the eggs and milk together in a measuring cup and pour over the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, mixing together well.

Let sit on the counter for about 15 minutes until milk is absorbed into the bread.

Pour into a buttered 8" x 8" cake pan (or a loaf pan lined with parchment paper), and bake at 375F for 30 minutes, until pudding/cake looks set.



Since I used parchment paper, I lifted it right out of the pan and sliced it right into my mouth!



YUM.

Comments

Laura said…
Mmmm I would never have thought to use biscotti for a bread pudding but it makes sense and sounds absolutely delicious! Can't wait to try this one out, thanks for sharing!
mil said…
You know none of MY knives are up to the task of slicing HARD hunks of chocolate, but your pudding looks sensational!!!!!!!!!!
mil
Angela said…
I LOVE bread puddings and can't wait to make your panettone bread pudding during the holidays again.
I doubt we will have any biscotti leftover, but I may try this recipe with other crumbled cookies, as you suggest. YUMMMMMMMM!
Karen said…
I haven't made bread pudding in forever, but love it. This looks and sounds really good!
Lisa Faley said…
Wouldn't this be just divine with coffee for breakfast?!
It's only 730 and I honestly think I could eat a slice of this right now!!

I like my bread pudding with a drizzle or pool of custard....
YUM!
Carole said…
I've only recently started to enjoy bread puddings. This looks delish!
ann said…
Wow, that sounds and looks sooo good.
Peter Conway said…
Awesome, I am making this for Thanksgiving.
The JR said…
I luv bread pudding!
lisa is cooking said…
I have never had leftover biscotti (or mashed potatoes, and recipes are always calling for that), but I would buy extra cookies for this! Looks great with the chocolate chunks.
Biscotti and chocolate in a bread pudding. This is over the top!
I just made this with some leftover Egg bread and Graham Crackers. I know insane idea, but guess what, it was weirdly good and it saved me a trip the grocery store. Next time though I'll get the biscotti.
Anonymous said…
This was an awesome recipe! I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with my stale almond thins - although they were individually wrapped, here in Hawaii the humidity gets to things so fast! So they’ve been in the freezer staring at me every time I open it, and driving my roommate crazy- lol woops! So I made a couple adjustments, using this as my inspirational recipe and it turned out fantastic! Didn’t use cornstarch, used heavy cream leftover from Thanksgiving and for round two I’m using coconut milk. Thanks! I’ve never made bread pudding before and I made it to my liking. I’ve eaten it out before and it’s either been too dry or smells like eggs and I guess undercooked. Neither were the case on this one, yum!