During the winter months, do you ever crave fruits that are unavailable, or so you think? This was the case with the fresh cherries I craved and desperately wanted to use to bake this Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding. I love fresh cherries, and I was so sure it would be quite a while until I could buy them. But about 2 weeks ago, as I walked into the grocery, I found them! I had no idea I would be able to find fresh cherries during the winter months! I was so excited because I had this idea to make a bread pudding with some left over bread I had, and I wanted to make it with a Valentine’s Day theme! I thought about several ways to put the bread pudding together. I know I needed chocolate, of course, and something red. So I had that handled. But should I make the bread chocolate? What kind of chocolate? Should I cut the cherries? Should I slice or chop them? Will the left over cuban bread I have work ok?
So, I gathered all my ingredients together, looked through a few web pages, and a couple cookbooks. I have made bread pudding a few million times, but I wanted to know the best way to use the chocolate. Should I melt it over the bread and mix it in? Should I drizzle it over the baked bread pudding? Should I dip the cherries in it first? And the cherries. Should I use them whole? Cut them in half? Cook them to make a juice?
So what did I end up with? A bread pudding with pockets of chocolate, flavor bursts of whole fresh cherries,and raw sugar sprinkled over the top for a surprise little crunch. It is amazing, and a great dessert to bake for Valentine’s day! It is easy to make and I know you will love it! 
Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding (printable recipe at end of post) (makes 6 servings)
5-6 cups stale Bread, chopped into cubes
2 teaspoon Butter
12 ounces Fresh Cherries
6 ounces Milk Chocolate
2 cups Milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/3 cup Raw Sugar 
Cut bread in to small bite size pieces. Butter a 2-3 quart dish, and place bread cubes in dish. Set aside.
Wash and pit the cherries. Set aside.
Chop chocolate into small pieces. I used the Milk Chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s. Set aside.
Mix together the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Distribute the cherries and chocolate chunks in the dish with the bread and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle the sugar onto the bread pudding mix. Pour the milk mix over the bread. Press the bread, cherries and chocolate down in to the milk mix if needed.
Bake at 350℉ for 30-40 minutes. Make sure the custard has set up. You can test it by sticking a toothpick into the mix. If it is not ready, cook a little longer, in 10 minute intervals.
Let cool or enjoy it hot! It tastes great either way!
Author: The Freshman Cookprint recipe
prep time: 30 MINScook time: 40 MINStotal time: 70 mins
- 5-6 cups stale Bread, chopped into cubes
- 2 teaspoon Butter
- 12 ounces Fresh Cherries
- 6 ounces Milk Chocolate
- 2 cups Milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/3 cup Raw Sugar
- Cut bread in to small bite size pieces. Butter a 2-3 quart dish, and place bread cubes in dish. Set aside.
- Wash and pit the cherries. Set aside.
- Chop chocolate into small pieces. I used the Milk Chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s. Set aside.
- Mix together the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Distribute the cherries and chocolate chunks in the dish with the bread and mix thoroughly.
- Sprinkle the sugar onto the bread pudding mix. Pour the milk mix over the bread. Press the bread, cherries and chocolate down in to the milk mix if needed.
- Bake at 350℉ for 30-40 minutes. Make sure the custard has set up. You can test it by sticking a toothpick into the mix. If it is not ready, cook a little longer, in 10 minute intervals.
- Let cool or enjoy it hot! It tastes great either way!
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