Chocolate Bread Pudding With Brandy Custard Sauce

Brandy Custard Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.

2. Brush the brioche slices with the melted butter, and toast them
on both sides in the oven until golden brown.

3. Coarsely chop the chocolate, and put the pieces in a small bowl.
Place the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water and set aside, allowing
the chocolate to melt slowly.

4. Combine the cream and milk in a saucepan and heat almost to a
boil.

5. While the cream-milk mixture is heating, whisk the sugar and egg
yolks together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Slowly add
the hot cream, whisking constantly. Then strain the mixture into
another bowl and skim off any foam. Slowly pour the strained mixture
into the melted chocolate, whisking constantly. Stir in the vanilla
and salt.

6. Arrange the brioche slices in a 12×9-inch baking dish, in two
overlapping rows. Pour the chocolate mixture over the brioche, and
loosely lay a piece of plastic wrap over the dish. Place a smaller
dish on top of the plastic wrap, weighting down the brioche to keep
it submerged. Add weights such as soup cans to the smaller dish if
necessary. Let stand until the bread is soaked through, 1 hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 325F.

8. Remove the weights (if any), the smaller pan, and the plastic
wrap. Cover the baking dish with foil, and make a few holes in the
foil for steam to escape.

9. Place the baking pan in a larger pan, and fill the larger pan
with hot water so that it reaches two thirds of the way up the sides
of the baking dish. Transfer the pans to the oven, and make until the
chocolate liquid has been absorbed and the pudding looks glossy,
about 1-3/4 hours.

10. Spoon a pool of custard sauce onto each plate. Cut the warm
pudding into squares, and arrange a square on the sauce. Serve
additional sauce on the side.

B R A N D Y C U S T A R D S A U C E

3 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup honey or whipping cream 1/3 cup
milk 1/4 cup brandy 1 pinch of salt

1. Fill a large mixing bowl with ice cubes and set aside.

2. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in another mixing bowl, and beat
until well blended.

3. Combine the cream and milk in a heavy saucepan, and bring to a
boil. Remove the pain from the heat, and gradually add 1/2 cup of the
hote cream to the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

4. Slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan containing the
remaining hot cream, and place the pan over medium-low heat. Whisk
constantly until the cream begins to thicken (do not let it boil!)

5. Remove the pain from the heat, and stir in the brandy and salt.
Strain the mixture into a small bowl and cool it quickly by placing
the bowl in the bowl with the ice cubes. Serve chilled.