Chocolate Chip Orange Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Rum Sauce

​You'd probably be surprised at how many bread cubes for bread pudding you can get from a single loaf of challah. Trust me when I tell you, it’s a lot! After I made this version (and then a couple of servings of Pecan Pie French Toast), I still had enough bread left over to experiment with another variety. 

This one will take you to heaven! Between the marmalade, orange zest, and dark chocolate chips all within the bread pudding to the Cinnamon Rum Sauce drizzled over the top, this is, in so many ways, a winner! If you love bread pudding as much as I have come to do, you must try this one. I made mine in individual portions using these ramekins (that I absolutely adore and have found so many uses for, both sweet and savory), but you can make yours in a 9” x 9” pan (or 1½ -quart casserole) if you prefer.

Chocolate Chip Orange Bread Pudding

with Cinnamon Rum Sauce

​1 1-lb. loaf challah, cut into 1-inch cubes

8 T. butter, melted

½ cup orange marmalade

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 c. half and half

1 c. sugar

5 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

4 t. vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 1.5 quart casserole dish, or 6-8 individual ramekins. Spread marmalade onto the bottom of the prepared dish. (If using ramekins, place 1 tablespoon of marmalade in each dish, spreading to cover the bottoms.)

Place bread in large bowl; pour 8 tablespoons melted butter over bread and toss to coat. Add chocolate chips and zest, and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to casserole dish.

Whisk together half and half, sugar, eggs, yolks, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Pour over bread cubes in dish. Let stand 30 minutes, occasionally pressing bread cubes into custard. (At this point it can be covered and refrigerated overnight.) Bake bread pudding until puffed, brown, and set in center, about 1 hour for casserole, 40-45 minutes for ramekins.

Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm with Cinnamon-Rum Sauce.

Cinnamon Rum Sauce

1 cup butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ t. ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup dark rum

1 T. Vanilla extract

Melt unsalted butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt, and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbling and smooth, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in dark rum and vanilla extract. Serve warm.

(Cinnamon-Rum Sauce can be prepared 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated, and warmed just before serving. It is excellent over ice cream, apple pie, apple dumplings, you name it!)

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If, like me, you enjoy chocolate in your bread pudding, you might want to check out this Double Chocolate Bread Pudding.

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