Black Forest Panettone Pudding

Name: Black Forest Panettone Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 10 servings.
Cuisine: Italian Desserts, Italian Recipes
Ingredients: 3 large eggs; 1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream; 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract; 6 cups cubed panettone bread (2-inch cubes, about 12 ounces); 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips; 1 cup sliced fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed; 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted; VANILLA BUTTER SAUCE:; 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 cup vanilla bean ice cream

My chocolate-cherry bread pudding uses Panettone, the holiday bread people often receive but aren't sure how to use. I make a glorious sauce for it using ice cream. —Devon Delaney, Westport, Connecticut

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
6 cups cubed panettone bread (2-inch cubes, about 12 ounces)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sliced fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
VANILLA BUTTER SAUCE:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup vanilla bean ice cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together eggs, cream and extract. Add panettone cubes; soak 3 minutes, turning to coat. Meanwhile, pulse chocolate chips in a food processor until finely ground.
In a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate, layer half of each of the following: cubed panettone, ground chocolate, cherries and almonds. Repeat layers. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Whisk in brown sugar until sauce resembles caramel. Stir in ice cream; simmer over low heat until it coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve with bread pudding.

Editor’s Note: Panettone can be found in stores mostly during the holiday season and online during the rest of the year.

Editor's Note

To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece with 2 tablespoons sauce: 420 calories, 25g fat (12g saturated fat), 108mg cholesterol, 106mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate (32g sugars, 3g fiber), 8g protein.