Chocolate Panettone Pudding

 

In the interests of using up Christmas leftovers, I thought I'd try something warming containing chocolate!  Well, why not?    This is a variation of Delia Smith's wonderful chocolate B&B pudding, but I used a plain panettone instead, and it is definitely better than her already wonderful original.    As you can see from the photo, it has risen up in beautifully the dish and turned a little bit too brown.   But it was also deliciously squishy, especially after one of my sons was overgenerous with the cream...    So, it uses up leftovers, it is warming and chocolate is one of your five a day.  What's not to like?

Chocolate Panettone Pudding

Chocolate Panettone pudding

8 thick slices of panettone (plain or with fruit)

4oz/110g dark chocolate

10 fl oz/300ml double or whipping cream

3 tablespoons rum  

3oz/75g soft brown sugar

2oz/50g butter

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs

Butter a dish approx 10” x 6” (or wait until you see how much mixture you make).    Cut the panettone slices into halves or triangles.      In a large bowl, put the chocolate, cream, rum, sugar, butter and cinnamon and stick it into the microwave.  Heat until the chocolate is melted and the sugar has dissolved.   Stir thoroughly.  If you’re using the microwave, don’t over heat the mixture – the chocolate melts more slowly, and will mostly dissolve when you are stirring it prior to adding the eggs.    Whisk the eggs in another bowl, add the chocolate mixture and whisk again until it is smooth (ish).

Pour a layer of chocolate mixture into the dish, and then put the bread over the top, overlapping the pieces slightly – I aim for two layers.   After the first layer, pour on half of the remaining liquid, then put the last bread pieces on top.   Pour on the last of the mix and cover all the bread, gently squidging it into the gooey chocolate….  cover with cling film and leave it to rest for a day (if you can, but half an hour is a minimum).     Preheat oven to 180deg C.  Remove the clingfilm and bake for about half an hour until crisp (not burned) on top yet still soft inside.      This reheats well in the microwave.