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1
One 2 quart dish (size is important).
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2
Use an 11 x 7 inch dish or a 9 x 9 x 2 inch dish.
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3
Butter dish and set aside.
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4
Remove crust from bread.
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5
Cut bread into 1/2 inch thick slices.
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6
Quarter the slices.
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7
Line the bottom of the dish with the bread, add a layer of cherries or cranberries, and continue layering, ending with bread.
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8
In the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine the chocolate, cream, half-and-half, butter, sugar and salt.
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9
Cook the mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon, just until the chocolate and butter melt.
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10
Remove the top of the double boiler from the water, wipe the bottom of the pan, and set it aside until the mixture is still quite warm but not hot.
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11
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and vanilla for 1 minute.
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12
With the machine running, slowly add the chocolate mixture to the eggs so that it gently warms the eggs but doesn't make them curdle.
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13
Slowly pour the chocolate mixture over the bread, pressing the custard into the bread (with your hand or a spatula).
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14
Sprinkle the pudding with the cinnamon-sugar.
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15
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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16
Remove the pudding from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking.
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17
Lift off the plastic wrap.
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18
Set the oven at 350 degrees.
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19
Bake the pudding in the hot oven for 40 minutes or until the top is crusty and the custard doesn't wiggle when you shake the pan.
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20
Spoon the pudding onto plates and serve at once.
