Banana and Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 pounds brioche loaf bread
• crust removed and cubed
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• melted
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
• grated
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas
• 6 to 8 (1-inch chunks) semisweet chocolate
• Dark Rum Creme Anglaise
• recipe follows
• 2 cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean
• split
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dark rum

Instructions

1. Place bread into a bowl and drizzle with melted butter, mix well to coat.
2. In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, milk, nutmeg and vanilla together.
3. In another bowl mash up 1 banana and add to custard, pour over the bread and allow to soak for 15 minutes.
4. Dice up the other banana and fold into bread pudding mixture.
5. Grease 6 (2 1/2-inch by 2?inch) tall ring mold and wrap the bottom with foil.
6. Spoon bread pudding mixture into mold 1/2 way then press 1 chunk of chocolate into the center then continue to fill to the top.
7. Bake in a 325 degree oven until it is set and brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Serve with Dark Rum Creme Anglaise.
9. To a saucepan add milk, scrape vanilla bean seeds into milk and add the pod.
10. Bring almost to a boil.
11. Remove from heat and allow bean to infuse for 10 minutes, then remove the bean.
12. In a bowl whisk egg yolks and sugar until thick and light in color, then temper with hot milk.
13. Pour mixture back into the pot and gently stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until custard thickens slightly.
14. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl over ice.
15. Stir in rum and cover tightly so skin does not form while it is cooling.
16. Yield: approximately 2 cups