Helen’s Chocolate Bread Pudding

YIELD: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup water
• 6 slices “lite” white bread (5 grams of usable carbs per slice or less the squishiest you can find)
• 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2/3 cup Splenda
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Combine the half-and-half, cream, and water in a saucepan and heat until it reaches a scalding point, just below simmering.
3. While the mixture is heating, spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Tear the bread into small pieces and place them in the dish. Pour the hot half-and-half mixture over the bread and let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the bread to soak.
4. Melt the chocolate and add it to the bread mixture, making sure to scrape out all of the melted chocolate from the pan. Stir well to incorporate the chocolate. Add the Splenda, eggs, vanilla, and salt to the mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Bake the mixture in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until the pudding is firm and set.
6. Serve the bread pudding with Not-So-Hard Sauce.

PER SERVING:

• Each with 12 grams of carbohydrates and just over 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 11 grams of usable carbs and 7 grams of protein.