When I think about the fact that I have less years to go until  I’m thirty than I did between now and when I was twenty one I get creeped out.

Not because I’m scared of turning thirty, but because of seriously how fast time is flying by these days. I was just leaving for Boston. I was just turning twenty five. I was just graduating college. I was just starting college. I was just turning 18. Eight years ago. What? Seriously, life?

It’s scary how fast it passes you by, which is why, as silly as this sounds, I often stop and think to myself, “soak. this. in.” I’ll be walking down the street listening to music in beautiful weather, soaked. I’ll be in the kitchen at school learning how to cook, soaked. I’ll be having a cup of coffee looking out my window in the morning, soaked. I’ll be laughing my butt off with the funniest person I know and then telling them I love you, soaked. Watching whales in the middle of the ocean, soaked. Eating the silkiest desserts known to man, soaked.

This bread pudding is one of those. It’s gargantuan in proportions of deliciousness. The velvet that meets your mouth when you eat this is unmatchable. And when can you go wrong when dulce de leche meets chocolate? It’s also fairly easy to prepare and does not take much time. Eggy bread is soaked in a dense liquid that you’ll be making in a cinch.

Eggs, cream, day old bread, and sugar are pretty ordinary ingredients. But, like life, when some soakage happens, things can more than extraordinary; when you look back on them, but especially in that moment.

Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding

Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2008 issue

Ingredients

8 1/2-inch-thick slices egg bread (about 4 x 5 inches), crusts trimmed, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup purchased dulce de leche ice cream topping or butterscotch-caramel sauce plus more for serving

4 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 cup (6 oz) bittersweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons sugar

Powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread in large bowl and drizzle with 3 tablespoons melted butter, then toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and bake until bread begins to color, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool. Brush 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Stir whipping cream and 1 cup dulce de leche in medium saucepan over medium heat until blended and bubbling. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and yolks in large bowl. Add rum, vanilla, and salt; gradually whisk in warm dulce de leche mixture. Stir in bread cubes. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix chocolate chips into custard mixture. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake pudding until puffed and set in center, about 35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm, passing more dulce de leche topping alongside.