chocolate bread custard

Amongs the newspaper piles, boxes full of pots and pans, and clutter everywhere, I have managed to cook and bake more than I did in our Portland apartment.  We still haven't moved in everything into our kitchen yet, because we still haven't found room - it's been quite an ordeal.  Still, It's been so much fun going through the cook books and trying new recipes.  Unfortunately, we have no natural light in our apartment so food photography is not as appealing as it normally looks.  This recipe for Chocolate Bread Custard is delicious and easy.  It's from Apples for Jam, and I love this cook book, I highly recommend it!

adapted from Apples for Jam

5 1/2 Tbs. butter
1 c. chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 c. superfine sugar
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
4 eggs
14 to 15 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed

Preheat oven to 350 F and butter a shallow 4 cup oven proof dish (like a wide pie dish or square pan).  Melt butter, chocolate, and sugar together in the top of a double boiler, stirring toward the end with a wooden spoon so that it is all smooth.  Remove from the heat, stir in the cream, and leave to cool slightly. 

Beat the eggs until they are creamy.  Gradually add the chocolate mixture, starting with just a little and eventually mixing it all in to make a smooth custard. 

Cut each slice of bread in half diagonally.  Use half the slices to make an overlapping layer in the bottom of the dish.  Pour over just less than half of the custard, making sure that all the bread is coated.  Leave for 5 minutes for the bread to soak up some custard, then layer on the rest of the bread slices and pour the remaining custard.  Rock the dish so that all the bread is covered, rest for 5 minutes.

Put the dish in a larger baking pan and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the custard dish.  Put in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is crusty.   Serve warm.