We dare you to read through this post and not want to indulge in this pairing this weekend. No, in face we double dare you.

The recipe for this entirely satisfying bread pudding is from the winter issue of Edible Rhody, and Jennifer Borden, Owner of Provender Fine Foods, Tiverton Four Corners.

Wrote Jennifer: “This recipe is a wink to my beloved mother. I grew up on a small farm in north central Massachusetts, where it seemed we always had lots of extra milk and leftover bread. My mother was a master at trying to use everything, hence we ate a lot of bread pudding. My favorite was her chocolate bread pudding. This is my take, with just a little more spice.”

And the pairing is from our own Eric Taylor, who chose the Lustau ‘Los Arcos’ Amontillado Sherry. It’s quite an intriguing (read: intellectual) match: The Los Arcos has just a hint of honeyed sweetness and is a wee bit briny with flavors of roasted walnuts, golden raisins, and orange peel. It’s a little sweet, a little savory, a little umami and great with the spicy chocolate flavor.  Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding

4 disks (5.4 ounces) Taza Chipotle Chili Chocolate, chopped fine
3 cups half & half
Unsalted butter for greasing soufflé dish
6 cups cubed good-quality country white bread (1-inch cubes)
4 ounces Valhrona (or other good-quality) 70% chocolate, chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved
4 large eggs, plus 1 yolk (room temperature)
¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon reserved
¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon reserved
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Hot water for water bath
Vanilla ice cream (optional for serving)

Place Taza Chocolate and half & half in a medium saucepan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350°.Generously butter a 2-quart soufflé dish and set aside.

In a large bowl toss bread cubes with chopped 70% chocolate and then spoon into the soufflé dish.

In a medium size bowl whisk together eggs, yolk, both sugars, vanilla and salt.

Gently whisk hot chocolate into egg mixture a little at a time, until all the liquid is incorporated. Ladle custard over bread cubes. Let stand 15 minutes, pressing down on the bread with a spatula every 5 minutes or so.

Chop reserved tablespoon chocolate as finely as possible and mix with reserved tablespoon of white sugar and brown sugars. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pudding.

Place soufflé dish in a roasting pan and place in the oven. Fill pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the roasting pan.

Bake pudding in the water bath for 60 minutes or until a clean knife inserted in the center of the dish comes out clean.

Serve pudding warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream and a glass of the Los Arcos. Enjoy!