Warm Milk-Chocolate Croissant-Bread Pudding - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 lb milk chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 large eggs
6 large croissants, cut into 1-inch cubes (approx 1 pound, day old is fine)
vanilla ice cream (optional) or coffee ice cream, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0.
In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk with the vanilla bean and seeds and the salt; bring to a simmer.
Cover and allow the milk stand off the heat for 15 minutes.
Discard the vanilla bean.
Add half of the chopped milk chocolate to the warm milk and whisk until smooth.
Let the milk and chocolate mixture cool for 15 minutes.
Whisk in the eggs.
In a 9 x 13\" baking dish, toss the croissant cubes with the remaining chopped milk chocolate.
Pour the chocolate custard over the croissant pieces; press lightly to submerge them in the custard.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the bread pudding is risen and set.
Let the chocolate bread pudding cool slightly, then cut it into squares and serve warm, with ice cream.
To Make Ahead:
The bread pudding can be refrigerated overnight. Be sure to rewarm the pudding before serving.