Heat the cream and 1 cup of sugar on the stove top in a sauce pan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer and the sugar is melted. Make sure to stir constantly.

In a separate bowl mix the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar. When the cream mixture has come to a simmer add the mixture to the egg yolks. BE SURE to temper the egg yolks – this means, add small amounts of the hot cream mixture a little at a time to the yolks so that the eggs will not cook and will be come a smooth liquid. You do not want cooked egg yellows in your bread pudding. Add the vanilla. Essentially you just made Crème Anglaise – you didn’t know you were so fancy, did you?

Cube the bread into inch cubes. In a bowl mix the bread and the cream. Add as much of the cream as you would like. For a dryer bread pudding add less and vice versa. Mix in the chocolate and put in a baking pan and bake for 40 mins covered and then for 10-15 mins uncovered at 350.