Pump Up the Pudding

While Michael Roberts was walking to work one day, he suddenly thought about a bread pudding using pumpernickel, brandy and whipped cream that a friend had once made. Before long, the chef/co-owner of Trumps had come up with an innovation. “I realized that chocolate would be the ideal visual and flavor complement to the dark molasses-sweetened bread,” says Roberts. “ Voila ! Chocolate-Pumpernickel Bread Pudding was born.”

Of course, no one would know, just by eating the dish, what the pudding was made from. Keep your guests guessing for the fun of it. You can bake the pudding in a mold to be turned out of the pan upside down, but we also like it baked in a souffle dish and served, like warm souffle, with whipped cream. That’ll stump ‘em.

TRUMPS’ CHOCOLATE-PUMPERNICKEL PUDDING

8 slices pumpernickel, crusts removed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup currants

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup milk

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

3/4 cup sugar

9 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Lightly brush bread slices with melted butter. Place bread in greased 2 1/2-quart, 4-inch-deep baking pan or souffle dish. Sprinkle bread with currants and set aside.

Bring whipping cream and milk to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk in chopped chocolate until melted.

Whisk together sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat cream-chocolate mixture into egg mixture, blending well. Pour over bread slices and currants. Let stand 30 minutes to allow bread to soak up liquid.

Cover pan with buttered foil and place in larger pan filled halfway with warm water. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes to 1 hour or until knife inserted in pudding comes out clean. Cool slightly. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.