Chocolate-Hazelnut Bread Pudding

Vanilla ice cream melts over the warm bread pudding to form a sauce. If you have whole hazelnuts, toast them at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the skins are loosened. To rub off the papery skins, roll the nuts in a clean dish towel. Then chop as needed.

1 1/3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed French bread (about 8 ounces)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts
2 cups vanilla low-fat ice cream

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat 3 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally (do not boil).

2. Combine egg whites and egg in a large bowl; gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in liqueur, vanilla and salt. Add bread, tossing gently to coat.

3. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover with foil; chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Sprinkle hazelnuts evenly over pudding. Place dish in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve each bread pudding piece warm with 1/4 cup ice cream. Yield: 8 servings.

Calories: 277 (22% from fat); Fat 6.7 g (sat 2.8g, mono 2.4g, poly 0.5g); Protein 8.2g; Carb 44.8g; Fiber 3g; Chol 32mg; Iron 1.5mg; Sodium 275mg; Calc 133mg

"Warm Desserts for Cold Nights"
Article by Jean Patterson
Copyright 2002 by Cooking Light.
Originally published in Cooking Light, November 2002.