This one started as an “Oops!” but quickly became a “Wow!” after taking that first bite. It’s dense and cakey, not custardy like a traditional bread pudding. It’s also only mildly sweet, and the marriage of chocolate and cinnamon is reminiscent of a Sunday brunch French toast. It’s also a true testament to how you can mess up in the kitchen and still (sometimes) end up with a great product. That being said, let’s explore my forgetful side for a minute… and that part of me that mistakenly thinks I don’t need a recipe for some things.

I love bread pudding, but I always mess it up. So I decided to follow a recipe for once. I read the recipe, my confidence (cockyness) kicked in, and I set to work. Not once did I go back and reread the directions. Oops.

So the original recipe calls for eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and bread (duh). I decided to add milk chocolate because I wanted a chocolate bread pudding and some cinnamon as a great compliment to the sweet and chocolatey combination. I gathered all of my ingredients and set myself to work. Had I gone back to read the directions one more time, I’d have noticed I forgot the sugar… but then I wouldn’t have had this recipe to share with you.

Directions:

• Preaheat the oven to 350°F.

• Break apart the slices of white bread into small pieces and set aside.
• Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and milk and whisk to combine. Transfer to a small saucepan and set on low heat.

• Stirring constantly, add the chocolate and continue to stir until melted and fully incorporated.
• Add back to the large mixing bowl, along with the broken pieces of bread. Stir to coat entirely and let the bread soak the custard base. Transfer to a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan.
• Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.