Croissant Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 8 small or 6-7 large croissants (preferably 1-day old)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups milk (480ml)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (120ml)
• 3/4 cup sugar (150g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (divided, 1+1/2 ts)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins (75g)
• 1 1/2 ounces (45g) bittersweet chocolate ( or 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips)
• 1 tablespoon soft butter (for greasing the pan)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the croissants: Cut your croissants into large chunks. If you have fresh croissants, cut them in half horizontally then bake them at 425°F (220°C) for a couple of minutes or until lightly browned and crispy (fresh croissants won't absorb the custard as well as dried croissants).

2. 2

   Make cinnamon sugar: combine 2 tablespoons sugar (from the 3/4 cup) and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, cinnamon, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, eggs, and salt.

4. 4

   Assemble: Grease an 8x12 inch (20x30cm) baking dish with butter. Add the croissants, chocolate, and raisins. Toss the croissants so that the raisins and chocolate are evenly distributed. Pour in the custard and press the croissants slightly into the custard. It should almost cover the croissants but not entirely - the top part of the croissant bake should be crispy.

5. 5

   Sprinkle the top of the casserole with cinnamon sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes while your oven is getting warm. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

6. 6

   Bake for pudding for about 45 minutes or until the pudding is golden and crispy on top and the custard is set and not jiggly (you can measure the temperature of the bake to make sure it's baked through, it should be 160°F/71°C in the center of the pudding).

7. 7

   Enjoy!