Nutella Bread Pudding Review (from ATK’s Slow Cooker Revolution)

*Recipe used with permission from America’s Test Kitchen*

Serves 8 to 10  

Cooking Time: about 4 hours on Low

Why This Recipe Works: The rich hazelnut and cocoa flavor of Nutella inspired this gooey, over-the-top variation of our Rum-Raisin Bread Pudding. Out went the rum, raisins, and cinnamon. In went chocolate chips and a large dose of Nutella—a common European breakfast spread of hazelnuts, skim milk, and cocoa, which is readily available in the United States. We simply whisked the Nutella spread into the custard (which we reduced by a cup to account for the Nutella) and poured the custard over the toasted bread cubes, once again pressing the cubes into the custard. We loved the addition of chocolate chips, which added a chocolaty boost that the Nutella couldn’t without adding too much sweetness. Once cooked, the chocolate chips melted and added a decadent gooeyness that had tasters diving in for seconds. The perfect accompaniment for this bread pudding turned out to be softly whipped cream. If you cannot find challah, firm, high-quality sandwich bread may be substituted.

• Vegetable oil spray
•1 (14‑ounce) loaf challah bread, cut into 1‑inch cubes (12 cups) (see note)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
•9 large egg yolks
•1 cup Nutella
•3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
•4 teaspoons vanilla extract
•3/4 teaspoon salt
•2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar, then line with foil sling and coat with vegetable oil spray. (I didn’t do this step, pure laziness on my part) Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Spread bread over rimmed baking sheet and bake, shaking pan occasionally, until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes. Let bread cool slightly, then transfer to very large bowl.

2. Mix chocolate chips into dried bread; transfer to prepared slow cooker. Whisk cream, milk, egg yolks, Nutella, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in bowl, then pour mixture evenly over bread. Press gently on bread to submerge.

3. Mix remaining tablespoon granulated sugar with brown sugar then sprinkle over top of casserole. Cover and cook until center is set, about 4 hours on low. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Smart Shopping Tip
Nestlé first introduced chocolate chips to the public in 1939 in response to the chocolate chip cookie craze that swept the nation. Nowadays, you can find lots of different types and brands of chocolate chips on the market. We pitted eight widely available brands of semisweet and bittersweet chips against each another in a bake-off and, when the dust finally settled, there was a clear winner. Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips handily beat out the competition with their distinct flavors of “wine,” “fruit,” and “smoke,” and lower sugar content, which allowed the chocolate flavor to really shine.

Recipe Review:
I’m sorry but Nutella is the best thing that has ever entered my mouth.  Forget about spreading it on bread or waffles, I just eat it plain by the spoonful (or the cupful, depending on my stress level).  So when I saw this recipe, I had to try it.  And it was good.  Oh yes.  It says to wait 30 minutes to serve but that didn’t happen.  I ate it straight from the hot crock (I took the picture after).  I did serve it with ice cream, but you could serve with whipped cream or even a glass of milk.  I halved the recipe…it makes quite a lot, and since I was cooking for just my small family tonight I didn’t want to overdo it (due to my overdoing it this afternoon with myself, a spoon and nutella in the pantry while my kids walked around the house shouting, “where’s mom?”).  Ah, life is good isn’t it?  I give this recipe 4 stars.