Hello. Hi. Welcome.

I am so happy to be here.

You may notice that I seem a little excited... I've been daydreaming (and afternoondreaming, and nightdreaming) of starting this very blog for quite some time. Here we are, at long last.

I'll slap up a more lengthy backstory in my profile eventually. For now i'd just like to go on record and say that I am absolutely, utterly, no-doubt-about-it OBSESSED and IN MAJOR LOVE with food. Since early childhood, I have been over the moon. I've wept tears of joy into soups, sketched desserts, whispered sweet nothings (and the occasional insult) to produce and made very detailed outlines for meals I plan to cook. Food is my ultimate passion, at least so far. Food and I are pretty tight, and I just can't get it out of my mind. Ever. Not like I've tried.

And so, without further ado, for my blog's Maiden Voyage, I bring you Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding.

(I used the recipe for Nutella Bread Pudding from Alice Medrich's Pure Desserts as a template. It's a phenomenal book.

Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding

4c cubed brioche loaf*

1c dried cherries

1c chopped bittersweet chocolate, such as callebaut 60%

5 eggs

1/2c sugar

1 1/4c heavy cream

1 1/4c whole milk

4T cherry brandy

2t vanilla

1/2t salt

*Any light-colored, neutral-or-buttery-flavored bread would be a totally appropriate substitute. Think leftover baguette or sandwich bread. It's also fine if you want to leave the crust on... there are few hard and fast rules to bread pudding.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place brioche cubes on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake until light golden, about 5-10 minutes. Try to stay alert during this part... brioche burns easily. Allow to cool and transfer to a large bowl.

Place dried cherries and 2T cherry brandy in a small saucepan and cook over low heat just unti cherries begin to soften and the liquid starts to simmer and reduce. Remove from heat.

In another large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, milk, remaining brandy, vanilla and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.

Gently toss brioche cubes with cherries and chopped chocolate and transfer to an 8x8 square baking dish. Pour cream mixture over bread mixture and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place something on top to act as a weight for 15 or 20 minutes while the bread slurps up the custard and the flavors get to know eachother. I used a smaller square baking dish and my roommate's gigantic bowl of grapefruits.

Set a kettle of water on to boil. Uncover the dish and place in another pan large enough to hold it with space on all sides. Pull out the middle oven rack, place the large pan on it and carefully pour in enough boiling water to reach about halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. It's best to let it cool/set up for an hour or so, but I certainly won't shame you if you can't help the urge to dive right in.

Here's a fun fact: I'm generally not super into whipped cream. However, certain situations call for it, and I found that a humble dollop followed by some shaved chocolate really made the dessert sing.