Desserts - Chocolate Coconut Bread Pudding

For the ganache: In a small bowl place the chocolate. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a simmer and then pour over the chocolate. Let the chocolate mixture sit for 30 seconds and then whisk until smooth, keep warm.

For the pudding: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and add the diced brioche. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss to coat. Bake for about 12 minutes, until lightly golden brown, turning bread cubes several times. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the cream, coconut milk, sugar and vanilla bean and seeds in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate and whisk until melted. Strain the mixture into a medium size bowl.

In a separate medium bowl whisk together the eggs and yolks and slowly add the warm chocolate mixture, whisking constantly.

Place half of the brioche cubes in a single layer in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 of the custard mixture over the bread and half of the ganache. Sprinkle with half of the coconut. Press down on the bread, allowing the liquid to soak in. Place the remaining bread cubes over the top, add the remaining custard and ganache and again, press down to completely submerge the bread.

Top with the remaining coconut, cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes before baking. Uncover the bread pudding, and place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan. Fill the outer roasting pan with warm water until it comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake until the sides are slightly puffy and the center is slightly set (but still jiggles a bit). Remove the pan to a baking rack and let set for 15 minutes.

For the anglaise: Split vanilla bean. In a small heavy saucepan bring milks and vanilla bean half just to a boil and remove pan from heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean halves into milk and reserve pod for another use. In a bowl whisk together yolks and sugar. Add milk in a stream, whisking, and transfer custard to saucepan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened slightly and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F. Pour custard through a fine sieve into a metal bowl set in a large bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring occasionally, until cold.

Serve bread pudding warm or room temperature, topped w/ anglaise sauce.