Chocolate Irish Soda Bread Pudding with Guinness Ice Cream

As I mentioned the other day, travel websites are a good resource for local recipes. This may not be served in any pub in Ireland, but it is served at my house! Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Chocolate Irish Soda Bread Pudding! I love this vintage advertisement for Guinness.

This great recipe for Chocolate Irish Soda Bread Pudding comes from www.karott.com. Their site is all about the Irish: Guinness, Gaelic Language, Travel.  I've never made the Guinness Ice Cream. I've added Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream to this Soda Bread Pudding, but the Guinness Ice Cream sounds great. I've included the ice cream recipe in case you have the time and inclination. This is perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

Chocolate-Irish Soda Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
2 loaves of Irish soda bread
4 ounces butter, melted
6 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1 quart heavy cream
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate (chopped)

Directions:
Cut 1 loaf or half of the bread in cubes. Process the remaining half in a food processor.
Place bread cubes and crumbs in a bowl and cover with melted butter, toss and set aside.
Place cream in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and set on top of the cream and let it act as a double-boiler to melt the chocolate.
In another bowl beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick.
When the cream comes to a boil pour it over the chocolate whisking quickly. Then temper the chocolate-cream mixture into the egg mixture. this isn't as difficult as you're thinking :-)
Mix in the raisins.
Pour this mixture over the bread, mix well, and let it soak overnight or at least 2 hours. There should be a sense of moistness. If the mixture looks dry add another 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.
Butter a 9 inch cake pan. Pour mixture into pan. Place in a hotel pan and fill 3/4 up the sides of cake pan with cold water.
Bake at 375 for 1/2 hour. Turn pan, reduce heat to 325 F and bake for another 1/2 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.

Top with Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipping Cream or Guinness Ice Cream

Guinness Ice Cream

Ingredients:
12 ounces Guinness
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
6 egg yolks

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, simmer the Guinness until reduced by 3/4 in volume, about 8 minutes. Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

2. Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, to the hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

3. Remove from refrigerator and add the Guinness reduction, whisking until well blended. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.