Chocolate-Irish Soda Bread Pudding

By EdieK

Ingredients

• 2 loaves of Irish soda bread
• 4 ounces butter, melted
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 8 ounces semi sweet chocolate (chopped)

Details

Adapted from karott.com

Preparation

Step 1

- Cut 1 loaf or half of the bread in cubes. Process the remaining half in a food processor.
- Place bread cubes and crumbs in a bowl and cover with melted butter, toss and set aside.
- Place cream in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and set on top of the cream and let it act as a double-boiler to melt the chocolate.
- In another bowl beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick.
- When the cream comes to a boil pour it over the chocolate whisking quickly. Then temper the chocolate-cream mixture into the egg mixture.
- Mix in the raisins.
- Pour this mixture over the bread, mix well, and let it soak overnight or at least 2 hours. There should be a sense of moistness. If the mixture looks dry add another 1/2 cup of heavy cream.
- Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.
- Butter a 9 inch cake pan. Pour mixture into pan. Place in a hotel pan and fill 3/4 up the sides of cake pan with cold water.
- Bake at 375 for 1/2 hour. Turn pan, reduce heat to 325 F and bake for another 1/2 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.

Top with Guinness Ice Cream (see next recipe).


Guinness Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce

12 ounces Guinness
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
6 egg yolks

Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce
In a large saucepan, simmer the Guinness until reduced by 3/4 in volume, about 8 minutes. Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, to the hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Remove from refrigerator and add the Guinness reduction, whisking until well blended. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce:
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup honey
20 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, scald cream and honey medium heat. Remove from the heat. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the hot cream, let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. Let stand until cool but still pourable. Serve over Guinness ice cream.

Yield: 1 quart

Top

Guinness Ice Cream II

Yields: about 2 cups

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pint Guinness (reduced)

Procedure:

First, if the bowl of your ice cream maker has to be frozen, make sure you do so. In a sauce pan bring the pint of Guinness to a boil and let it reduce to about half to concentrate the flavor. Whip the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. In another sauce pan bring the milk and cream to a boil. Pour the boiling milk mixture over the yolks and whisk continuously. Return to sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens just enough to coat a spatula. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Pass though a fine strainer or 2 layers of cheesecloth. Cover loosely and quickly place in an ice bath. Whisk in the Guinness reduction. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufactures instructions.