Ingredients

• 9 slices
• each 5mm/¼in thick
• good-quality white bread
• one day old
• taken from a
• large loaf
• 150g/5oz dark chocolate (75 per cent cocoa solids)
• 75g/3oz butter
• 425ml/15fl oz whipping cream
• 4 tbsp dark rum
• 110g/4oz caster sugar
• good pinch cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• double cream
• well chilled
• You will also need a shallow ovenproof dish 18x23cm/7x9in base by 5cm/2in deep
• lightly buttered.

Directions

• Begin by removing the crusts from the slices of bread
• which should leave you with nine pieces aboutcm/4in square. So now cut each slice into four triangles. Next
• place the chocolate
• whipping cream
• rum
• sugar
• butter and cinnamon in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water
• being careful not to let the bowl touch the water
• then wait until the butter and chocolate have melted and the sugar has completely dissolved. Next
• remove the bowl from the heat and give it a really good stir to amalgamate all the ingredients.
• Now in a separate bowl
• whisk the eggs and then pour the chocolate mixture over them and whisk again very thoroughly to blend them together.
• Then spoon about acm/½in layer of the chocolate mixture into the base of the dish and arrange half the bread triangles over the chocolate in overlapping rows. Now
• pour half the remaining chocolate mixture all over the bread as evenly as possible
• then arrange the rest of the triangles over that
• finishing off with a layer of chocolate. Use a fork to press the bread gently down so that it gets covered very evenly with the liquid as it cools.
• Cover the dish with clingfilm and allow to stand at room temperature forhours before transferring it to the fridge for a minimum of 24 (but preferably 48) hours before cooking.
• When you're ready to cook the pudding
• preheat the oven toC/350F/Gas 4. Remove the clingfilm and bake in the oven on a high shelf for 30-35 minutes
• by which time the top will be crunchy and the inside soft and squidgy. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes before serving with well-chilled double cream poured over.