Coffee Toffee Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup ground coffee
• 2 pieces lemon peel (wide strips l)
• 6 cups egg bread or brioche bread, cubed
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• cinnamon
• salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips or chocolate chips

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly butter an 8' square baking pan.

2. 2

   Place cream, milk, ground coffee and lemon peel in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Heat just until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Line a fine-holed sieve with cheesecloth or a single layer of paper towel.

5. 5

   Set over a medium-size bowl.

6. 6

   Very slowly pour cream mixture through sieve (Don’t worry if a few coffee grounds slip through, most of the grounds will sink to bottom of pan).

7. 7

   Discard grounds and peel.

8. 8

   While milk is heating place bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer.

9. 9

   Toast in preheated oven, stirring occasionally until lightly golden, 6 to 9 minutes.

10. 10

    Remove from oven, but leave oven on.

11. 11

    Place bread in prepared pan.

12. 12

    In a large bowl, whisk eggs with sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

13. 13

    Gradually whisk in cream mixture, then add butter. Pour over bread.

14. 14

    Sprinkle chips over top. Press bread and chips into cream mixture several times to ensure bread is well covered.

15. 15

    Cover with a lightly buttered piece of foil.

16. 16

    Set pan in a larger baking dish.

17. 17

    Fill larger dish with enough very hot water to halfway up the sides of bread pudding pan.

18. 18

    Bake until pudding sets, 40 to 45 minutes.

19. 19

    Serve warm.

20. 20

    *For a fabulous dessert, make our creamy bread pudding and jazz it up with coffee and butterscotch or chocolate chips. Cut into squares, top with a dollop of cinnamon dusted whipped cream and a curl of lemon peel.