Spiced Chocolate Bread Pudding

1 loaf challah bread
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cup sugar 
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne
pinch salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
7 eggs, whisked a little in a large bowl
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top, if desired

1. Cut or rip up the bread and toast until golden. Cool. Butter shallow 3 qt baking dish and arrange bread pieces evenly. Scatter chocolate chips on top.

2. Pour milk, sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and cream in a saucepan. Heat on medium and whisk until bubbles form around the edge. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk some more. Pour into the large bowl with the whisked eggs. Whisk to combine. 

3. Pour chocolate mixture on top of the bread and chocolate chips. Make sure all the bread has the mixture on it, press the bread down as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

4. Bake at 450 for 45 minutes or 1 hour, until knife comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares and serve plain or with dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.

This recipe was from Good Housekeeping, about a year ago. It was one of our many desserts this Christmas!

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Bonus recipe: Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

From Cookie+Kate

I served this with a really really good Christmasy kale salad from the same food blog when a couple friends came over a few days before Christmas. I just stabbed and microwaved the sweet potatoes for about 6-7 minutes instead of roasting, and I didn't add in tahini. Very good!

This is what it looks like after a
day in the fridge.. it was prettier fresh.

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• ground sea salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the sweet potatoes on the middle oven rack or in a baking dish for 45 minutes to an hour. They should yield to a gentle squeeze when they’re done baking.
2. While the sweet potatoes are cooling, toss all of the other ingredients into a food processor (if you’re sensitive to spice, you may want to save the spices for last and add them to taste). Once the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle, use a knife or your fingers to peel the skin off of them. Add the sweet potatoes to the food processor.
3. Blend well, and serve! I garnished mine with a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper and sesame seeds.

My grandma wouldn't like either of these spicy recipes - no spice for her