Chocolate-Caramel Bread Pudding

YIELD: ONE PORTION

1 1 lb. loaf French or Italian bread, cubed
4 cups half and half
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
6 eggs, lightly beaten

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
As needed, prepared chocolate sauce
As needed, confectioners sugar
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
As needed, caramel sauce

1. Lightly grease 9×13" baking dish. Place bread in baking dish. Whisk together in a bowl half and half, sugars, cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk in eggs; add chocolate morsels.

2. Pour half-and-half mixture over bread; let sit about 20 minutes or until bread absorbs liquid. Bake in 325°F oven 1 hour or until knife inserted into pudding comes out clean. Cut into portions with round cutter; serve at room temperature or slightly warmer.

3. For one portion: place one portion of bread pudding on serving plate. Coat sides of bread pudding with chocolate sauce. Dust top of bread pudding with confectioners sugar; place scoop of ice cream on top. Garnish plate with swirls of caramel sauce.

Photo and recipe: Haagen-Dazs