I was a bad FC Staffer. I made the croissants from issue 97, and instead of eating them all in one sitting, I let a few of them go stale.
Not to worry! When life hands you stale croissants, make bread pudding! (Ok, I let a few of them go stale for this very reason.) This is one of the most rich and comforting desserts I can think of.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cut four croissants into 1-inch pieces ( I normally use my kitchen shears and don't get too fussy about exact sizes). Toss the croissants into a 2-quart dish and add broken-up pieces of your favorite chocolate; I went for a dark chocolate and used half the bar. Then combine 4 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 Tbs. of cognac (or vanilla, or bourbon...sky's the limit here). Bring 1 pint of heavy cream and a cup of milk to a boil. Temper the egg mixture (stir in a little bit of the hot cream to gradually warm the eggs) and then combine the egg mixture with the cream. Pour that over the croissants and then gently push the croissants under the cream. Let that sit for about 10 minutes. Put it into the oven and let it cook until the pudding gets puffed up and golden, about 30 minutes.
Spoon some of the croissant bread pudding into a bowl and top with ice cream, or whipped cream, or eat it solo. Any way you like it, it is a warm, rustic, and delicious dessert that you will want to make whenever you can get your hands on some croissants.
