When I briefly was employed as a baker’s assistant to my aunt 14 years ago (eek!), at the end of the day, the day-olds would be divided up amongst the employees to take home. Bread that hadn’t been sold that day and the baked goodies that couldn’t be put out another day would grace employees’ tables that evening, a small perk for a hard day’s work.
One of our specialties was bread pudding. While I had ample opportunities to try it, given its close proximity and the fact that I was sent home with it for my father, I refused. I didn’t really like eggs and the thought of bread soaked in an eggy mixture was pretty repulsive to me. How could that possibly be dessert? I turned my nose up time and time again, completely ignorant of the wonderfulness I was snubbing.
I still don’t really like eggs, but I’ve grown to appreciate quiche and custards–as long as I don’t think about their origins while consuming. It was time to give bread pudding a try.
I knew something ordinary wouldn’t work for me; I needed to not really taste any egginess. In my quest, I happened upon The Novice Chef’s Nutella and Croissant Bread Pudding. Nutella? AND croissants?? SOLD!!!
This is not for the faint of heart–or those with heart conditions, with all the croissants and cream. Pretty quick to whip together, too, which is always a plus for me. I can’t recall ever having leftover croissants before, but now I know what to do with them if this ever happens in the future.
Nutella Croissant Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 10 large croissants preferably stale**
- 1/2-1 cup Nutella
- 3 whole large eggs
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish and set aside.
- Slice the croissants like you're making a sandwich and generously spread Nutella on one half.
- Close the sandwiches and chop them into 1"-2" cubes, scattering in the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
- Pour mixture over the croissant chunks and press down on the chunks to be sure they all get wet. Sit for 10 minutes.
- Loosely cover with aluminum foil, poking some holes in it to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the pudding is mostly set and a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, reheating in the microwave as needed.
Notes
Next month for First on the First, we’ll be making souffle. Yup, I watched too much MasterChef this summer and now I want to tackle this incredibly finicky dish. Better stock up on more eggs! If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above for more information on First on the First!
And now…the other bread puddings!
- Apple Pumpkin Bread Pudding from Food Babbles
- Blueberry Bread Pudding from Teaspoon of Spice
- Apple Cider Bread Pudding from Fried Ice and Donut Holes
- Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding from What The Dog Ate
HOLY COW!! That looks goooood! I am in heaven right now. I really need to make this ASAP!
Definitely an indulgence! But considering how much I love croissants and Nutella, I figured it would be a slam dunk. 🙂
Wow that looks amazing. Easy and amazing. A deadly combination.
No kidding! I had to bring the pan into work–I can’t eat this all by myself!
WOW, great combo!! This definitely makes it a dessert – I was thinking I’d prefer most of them for breakfast until I saw this 🙂 Can’t wait to do souffles – that raspberry souffle on Master Chef was a work of art!!
Nutella and croissants? Sounds devine!!! Great pick! 🙂
Umm … yeah … this looks totally amazing! Nice job!