Saturday, February 14, 2009

Valentine's Day bread pudding says "I love you"


I think I spotted every male over the age of 12 out shopping for Valentine’s Day – puzzling over cards, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and cuddly teddy bears. And in the kitchen we’re planning our own feast – a decadent chocolate bread pudding, flavored with Kahlua, and the ever-popular Valentine’s Day chocolate. This is healthier for your sweetie than many of those ultra-rich desserts too. Made with reduced-fat milk and just one egg, the recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine, and the flavor is superb!!!

If you can’t find Hawaiian bread, which is a soft sweet bread, you can substitute a good egg bread, such as challah.

Here’s to chocolate, and romance, and happy Valentine’s Day!!

CHOCOLATE CHUNK BREAD PUDDINGS

1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed Hawaiian sweet bread
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange bread cubes in single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in medium bowl, stirring well with whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.
Place ramekins in 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping. Yield: 2 servings.
CALORIES 319 (30% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 5.2g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 121mg; CALCIUM 125mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.3g; SODIUM 141mg; PROTEIN 9.8g; FIBER 2.1g
(Recipe from Cooking Light, January 2003. Photo by Becky Luigart-Stayner; styling by Lydia DeGaris-Pursell)

2 comments:

Netts Nook said...

Thanks for sharing your pudding looks great.

Portia Little said...

It is a wonderful way to celebrate a romantic day! Thanks for stopping by, Lynette!