Cajun chocolate bread pudding

Yield: 9 Servings MMM

Ingredients:

1 qt Half-and-half
3/4 c Sugar
5 Eggs jumbo
3 1/2 ts Vanilla
1 1/2 ts Cinnamon
9 c Fresh french bread cubes
1 c Milk chocolate chips MMMMM--------------------------TOPPING-------------------------------
4 tb Butter lightly salted; at -room temperature
1/4 c Sugar
2 tb Brandy
1 Egg MMMMM-----------------------WHISKEY SAUCE----------------------------
2 tb Jack Daniel's Black Label -whiskey
4 tb Butter lightly salted
1 1/2 c Whipping cream
3/4 c Brown sugar
1/4 ts Salt
1/4 ts Cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. FOR THE PUDDING: Combine half-and-half sugar eggs vanilla cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Beat by hand for 3 minutes. 2. Cut bread into 1-inch square cubes. Add them to the half-and-half mixture. Let soak for 30 minutes occasionally tossing gently. 3. Spoon soaked bread and leftover liquid into a buttered 10-inch cake pan. Push chocolate chips into pudding mixture. Set aside. 4. FOR THE TOPPING: Beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar brandy and egg. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then beat at high speed for 1 minute. Pour topping over bread. 5. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool about 15 minutes. 6. FOR THE WHISKEY SAUCE: Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 4 minutes lightly whisking occasionally. 7. To serve: Cut pudding into serving-size pieces. Top with whiskey sauce. Serve warm. Makes 9 to 12 servings. Source: The Original Crawdaddy Bayou Restaurant in Wheeling Illinois (printed in the Chicago Sun Times January 15 1997)