YOU SHOULD ONLY BE HAPPY ....

recipe: Mocha cinnamon roll bread pudding is a cozy dessert for two

By Mary Bilyeu AnnArbor.com Community Contributor

Posted on Tue, Jan 8, 2013 : 8 a.m.

Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

I love cinnamon rolls. I love bread pudding. So, what better purpose for one lone leftover cinnamon roll than to make bread pudding with it?

I cut it into cubes, then placed the cubes into individual ramekins. A bit of custard - enhanced with coffee and cocoa, to make it extra luscious — and a short baking time... et, voila! A lovely, simple, warm, cozy dessert for two, and the perfect treat for a cold evening. Or for breakfast on a wintry morning. Or just because...

Mocha Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

1 4-inch cinnamon roll, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon instant cocoa mix
whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 8-ounce ramekins.

Divide the cinnamon roll cubes among the ramekins. Stir together the eggs, milk, coffee, and cocoa mix; pour half of mixture into each ramekin, and press onto bread cubes to immerse them. Let soak for 5 minutes.

Place ramekins into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or so, until puddings are puffed and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve immediately with whipped cream.

Serves 2.

Mary Bilyeu writes for AnnArbor.com on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, telling about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests, meeting new friends ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions, comments, or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — where she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related; and look for her monthly articles in the Washtenaw Jewish News. "Like" her on Facebook, or send a tweet on Twitter, too.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.