Campfire S'Mores Bread Pudding

      With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, I had high hopes of posting a winning baked french toast recipe today for you to make for breakfast on Sunday morning.  I have no idea why but the recipe I followed turned into a complete disaster, there was nothing salvageable about it, even the crows wouldn't touch what I threw into the woods.  The lovely little slices of bread, laced with almond flavoring, turned into lumps of dried out, puffy, flattened souffles. One of these days, I'm going to post all of my dutch oven cooking disasters for you, so you can have a good laugh (and there are too many to count). 
     Thankfully I bought the ingredients for this Campfire S'Mores Bread Pudding from Better Homes and Gardens.  It is by far, a much superior recipe and if you make this for your Mom she will love you to pieces for it and it is bound to make her day feel special.  The original recipe calls for crisping the hot dog bun pieces in a 325 degree oven for 7 minutes.  I cut them up a few hours before making the pudding and just left them, uncovered on the counter to dry.  They were the perfect consistency.  You can probably substitute any thick chunks of day old bread you have on hand but the hot dog buns are soft, soak up the custard well and you don't have any thick crust to contend with.
     If you're camping, you may want to line your oven with parchment paper otherwise you'll end up pouring boiling water in your oven afterwards to melt the hardened sugar.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, this fabulous pudding baked with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom, 15 coals in a ring around the outside of the lid and 4 spaced evenly in the center.  In 30 minutes it was cooked completely through and ready for a final topping of mini-marshmallows.  The fudge topping is really easy to make, just make sure you keep stirring it over low heat until everything has melted.  If you want to simplify things, finish it off with your favorite, good quality, ready made fudge topping.
    I really don't think I can eat for a week after polishing off two warm slices of this luscious dessert.  It's one of the best bread puddings I've ever had, very moist and soft in the middle, loaded with melted chocolate and finished off with everybody's favorite camping treat, s'mores.  I hope you all have a very Happy Mother's Day!
  
Campfire S'Mores Bread Pudding
4 hot dog buns, cut in 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
4 eggs
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
5 graham crackers, coarsely crushed (about 1/2 cup)
2 Tblsp milk

     Prepare hot dog pieces by leaving uncovered for several hours to dry and crisp or by baking in 325 degree oven for 7 minutes.
     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
     In medium bowl lightly beat eggs.
     Stir in sweetened condensed milk, 3/4 cup milk, vanilla and nutmeg; set aside.
     Place bun pieces in prepared dutch oven.
     Sprinkle with 1/2 cup each of the marshmallows and chocolate chips.
     Evenly pour milk mixture over all.
     Let stand 5 minutes.
     Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.
     Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
     Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the remaining marshmallows.
     Bake 5 minutes more or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
     In small saucepan heat and whisk remaining 1/4 cup of marshmallows, remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and 2 Tblsp milk over low heat until melted and smooth.
     Drizzle over bread pudding.
     Cool 20 minutes before serving.
     Serve warm, makes 9 servings.

Hockey puck french toast even the crows wouldn't touch

Now for the good stuff, pour egg mixture over hot dog buns,
chips and marshmallows then sprinkle with
graham cracker crumbs

Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes before adding marshmallows

Drizzle with fudge sauce

Let cool for 20 minutes before diving in

For easier clean up line your dutch oven with parchment paper