Crock Pot Chocolate-Walnut Bread Pudding

This recipe cooks for 2 1/2 hours in the crock pot - since we like our bread pudding warm, I time it so that it finishes around the time we finish eating. From Better Homes and Gardens.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 50 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Bread pudding

•  nonstick cooking spray
• 3  cups milk
• 3⁄4 cup  semisweet chocolate piece
• 3⁄4 cup  presweetened cocoa powder
• 3  eggs, lightly beaten
• 5  cups  cubed  Hawaiian sweet bread (no raisins) or 5  cups  cinnamon-swirl bread, dried* (no raisins)
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped walnuts

• Coffee-Cream Sauce

• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 2  tablespoons instant espresso
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon water
• 3  tablespoons butter
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Lightly coat the inside of a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan heat milk over medium heat until very warm but not boiling. Remove from heat. Add chocolate pieces and cocoa powder (do not stir); let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth; cool slightly (about 10 minutes).
3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and chocolate mixture. Gently stir in bread cubes and walnuts. Transfer bread mixture to the prepared cooker.
4. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for about 2-1/2 hours or until a knife inserted near center of pudding comes out clean (mixture will puff). Remove crockery liner from cooker, if possible, or turn off cooker. Cool, uncovered, for 30 minutes (pudding will fall as it cools).
5. For the sauce: In a medium bowl combine cream & coffee. Whisk until coffee is dissolved completely; set aside. In a saucepan over med/hi heat, combine sugar & water. Bring to a boil & let cook undisturbed until it becomes amber in color (about 5 min). Immediately stir in butter and remove from heat. Whisk in cream & salt.
6. To serve, spoon warm pudding into dessert dishes. Top each serving with Coffee-Cream Sauce.