irish whiskey + chocolate bread pudding

i am sitting at my desk eating spoonfuls of chocolate peanut butter as i attempt to write this post

as joy would say - real life

what was that, you ask is there anything better than eating peanut butter by the spoonful?

 

why yes, yes indeed there is

chocolate, booze & bread

baked in a custardy filling and topped with brown sugar and baked again until just caramelized

 

on Monday i told you about our st patty's day potluck we are so lucky to be attending

and guess whose bringing dessert ?

 

if you guessed me 10 points!

you all are such good guessers

the first time i ever had bread pudding was 2 years ago, about 6 months before becoming a vegan. for some reason the name bread pudding never appealed to me - so i never tried it. the power of a name - it kept me from trying the most amazing dessert ever.

day old bread toasted, is combined with Irish whiskey, cheesecake filling & chocolate chunks. after the bulk of the baking is done, the final dish is sprinkled with brown sugar and baked a bit longer until the sugar begins to caramelize - so amazingly good.

mimi creme is absolutely amazing. i have heard so much about it but never used it before. I remembered seeing it on the bottom shelf at sunflower a while back, I stopped in and they still had a few cartons in stock, specifically for whipped cream. Oh WOW this stuff is really amazing, the others weren't lying - easy vegan whipped cream, and that little carton sure made a lot...Justin kept asking my why I made so much whipped cream - yeah, I had no idea that little carton would whip up so much!

 

i think the only thing that makes this bread pudding Irish, is the Irish whiskey

regardless, it still tastes good

 

 

i mentioned to Justin that i was making bread pudding and he immediately turned his nose up at it. I am not sure why exactly, but his tune quickly changed when he came home from work to find this bread pudding on the counter waiting for his arrival. after he finished his late lunch he dug right into dessert - in between mouthfuls he then decided to ask me what he was eating - bread pudding i answered him....this is bread pudding, it is so good!me: see i told you so, pretty good huh? so if you have a half loaf of day old bread i strongly encourage you to make this bread pudding!

Irish Whiskey & Chocolate Bread Pudding

serves 12

you will need:

1 loaf of day old bread : about 12 cups cubed & toasted

1 - 14oz package silken tofu

2 - 8oz packages tofutti cream cheese - better than cream cheese

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup apple cider (not vinegar, real apple cider)

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cornstarch

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

1 cup brown sugar divided (1/2 cup for filling & 1/2 cup for topping)

1/2 cup Jameson Irish Whiskey

1 cup vegan creamer

1 tsp butter

mimi creme for whipped cream topping or other vegan whipped cream

vegan vanilla ice cream (optional)

assembly:

pre heat the oven to 350*

cube bread into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes

spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, turning cubes about half way though or until golden brown

remove from oven and set aside

in a food processor or using an immersion blender (use a medium bowl), process silken tofu and cream cheese for about a minute

add sugar & process until smooth 3-5 minutes

in a small bowl combine apple cider & 2 tsp vanilla with cornstarch, whisk until smooth and cornstarch has dissolved

pour apple cider mixture into food processor or bowl, process until very smooth

in a large sauce pot combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, whiskey & cream cheese mixture cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes

turn off heat and add bread, vegan creamer & chocolate chips stirring until cubes are well coated - transfer to a buttered baking dish

bake at 350* for 35 minutes until bubbly - sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar and bake an additional 10 minutes

remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes prior to serving

serve warm topped with vegan whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

enjoy!

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