Tortilla Bread Pudding

I've always been a fan of bread pudding. Maybe it's because it's a popular dessert to have back home. Usually it's always served with a rich creamy custard, making it all the more desirable! I tend to step away from using day old french bread which a lot of recipes call for just because of the lack of flavor. Sure the custard mixture has vanilla and sugar in it but when you add lumps of soft buttery challah or some spicy cinnamon bread, it can really take it to another level.

This time I challenged myself to create a very different bread pudding. I used Mission Foods new super soft tortillas to build layers between the custard. These new tortillas really are softer than regular tortillas and wont crack or peel when you handle them. Next time you see them in the store pick them up and give them a  good squeeze but just be careful who's watching you, it's probably illegal in some states. I used a basic bread pudding custard like this one from a prior post and added some cinnamon, chunks of chili flavored chocolate and chopped toasted hazelnuts between each layer of tortilla. Instead of combining this pudding with a traditional sauce or ice cream, I made a chocolate ganache and spiked it with some ancho chili powder to give it a spicy kick! This bread pudding is more dense than others I have made and almost reminds me of a crepe cake but it still has that bread pudding flavor.

Recipe for Tortilla Bread Pudding:

Prep Time- 20 minutes    Bake Time- 50-55 minutes    Serves- 10-12

1 Pack of medium sized Mission tortillas

Custard-
4 Eggs
1 Cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla 
1 tsp cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling between each layer
4 Tbsp melted butter
4 Cups of half and half  
1 Cup of chili flavored chocolate, chopped. I used Lindt Chocolate
1 Cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and butter a 9 inch-by-13 inch baking pan or a medium sized ovenproof dish. Boil a pot or kettle of water and set aside. Make sure whatever dish you use will fit into a larger roasting pan as this will be the water bath. 

Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and bright yellow, about 8-10 minutes and add the vanilla and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and the half and half. 

Lay some tortillas on the bottom of your buttered dish making sure to slightly overlap them. Sprinkle some of the chopped chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnuts on to the tortilla. Lay another set of tortillas on top of this and repeat the process until you are about an inch from the top of the dish.

Ladle the liquid mix carefully over the tortillas and let sit for at least 15 minutes until the bread soaks up the mix. Top off with more liquid if necessary. 

Put the dish or tray into the roasting pan and carefully add the boiled water into the roasting pan until about halfway up the sides of the pudding.
Bake for about an hour or until quite firm in the middle when pressed with your finger. Let cool and serve warm or cold with a spoonful of the spicy ganache.


For the chocolate ganache-

10 ounces chocolate chips
1 Cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder or more to suit your own tastes

Heat the cream in a pan until bubbles appear around the edges. Drop in the chocolate and stir slowly until all of the chocolate has melted and the mixture is shiny and lump free. Add the spice and stir well. If the ganache starts to set up, place it in the microwave for about 10 seconds.


Disclaimer- Mission Foods sent some super soft tortillas my way. This recipe was my creation and I wasn't compensated in any other way.