NUTELLA BABKA BREAD PUDDING

Serves: 6-8

1/2 loaf challah Unsalted butter, for greasing 1 cup (250 mL) labneh (strained yogurt) or pressed plain Greek yogurt, for serving

1/4 cup (60 mL) toasted, crushed hazelnuts, for serving 1 small piece halvah, grated, for serving

1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup, for serving

Custard:

2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream 6 large eggs

1/2 tbsp (7.5 mL) vanilla paste or extract

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) kosher salt

2 1/2 tbsp (37.5 mL) brown sugar, well packed

5 tbsp (75 mL) white sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut spread

1. The night before you’d like to serve this, preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and cut the challah into small cubes. Toast the challah on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until mostly dried throughout, about 20 minutes. If the bread is still quite soft, it won’t absorb nearly as much of the custard.

2. For the custard, in a large bowl, combine the cream, eggs, vanilla, salt, brown and white sugars, and Nutella. Using a hand mixer, blend the custard ingredients. Add the challah croutons to the bowl to soak in the custard overnight in the fridge.

3. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C), grease a loaf pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper, and boil a kettle of water.

4. Transfer your bread pudding to the loaf pan, cover it with more parchment paper and wrap with aluminum foil.

5. Put the loaf pan in a larger casserole dish, then slowly pour the boiled water into the casserole dish until it comes about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

6. Once the loaf is just cool enough to handle, remove it from the pan and cut it into thick slices.

7. If you’re serving this later, you can reheat it in the oven until it’s just toasted and hot throughout. To serve, top with labneh, toasted hazelnuts, grated halvah and maple syrup.