1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups 1-inch pieces bread and crusts
Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease a 6 cup baking dish or a soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter
Cut remaining butter into small pieces and reserve. Stir together eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine cocoa powder and sugar, then whisk into egg mixture. Fold the bread cubes into the pudding and pour into dish. Top with dots of butter. Bake at 300 F for 1 hour or until set. Remove the pudding from the oven and, while still hot, stir the pudding with a fork for a minute to even out the consistency. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or chilled, topped with sweetened whipped cream.
Serves 6-8.