Not Really Choclate Almond Bread Pudding with Dried Cherries

This recipe is a guest from another book. A friend loaned us Campbell's Slow Cooker Recipes. So far we have tried 2 recipes we enjoyed both,this will be the third and I have mixed yet high hopes! Confusing enough for you? Good then my work here is done.

I really need me some warm chocolaty goodness tonight and for some reason have been wanting bread pudding or rice pudding. After having 2 successes from this cook book I ran across this bread pudding recipe and was instantly smitten!
The recipe

Slow-Cooked Chocolate Almond Bread Pudding with Dried Cherries
Vegetable cooking spray

10 slices Pepperidge Farm® White Sandwich Bread, cut into cubes (about 5 cups)

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

4 eggs

Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Toasted almonds (optional)

follow the instructions in the above recipe link and enjoy!

Now the Not Really part....
Notice in the recipe where it calls for dried cherries and toasted almonds?
Well I don't have any. I happen to adore almonds, they are probably my favorite snack, I just can't always afford the lovey nut.
So I had to omit them. I also have no dried cherries. I have dried cranberries and considered subbing them. I decided not to. What I am craving is warm chocolaty goodness. So we are making a naked chocolate bread pudding instead.
Oh, and the whole Pepperidge Farms bread thing? Yeah, right! LOL!
I don't think so.
We are using left over bread that I made for french toast last Saturday. One of my Frankenstein bread experiments where I threw a bunch of thing in the dough to get a flavor/texture I wanted. In this case Cranberry juice and vanilla yogurt and extra eggs. The french toast was great in case you were curious. Now I hope it adds a nice background for the pudding.

The one thing I'm not liking about this recipe?
HOW LONG IT TAKES!
2 and a half hours to 3 hours!
I realize being a crock-pot its purpose is to slow cook, but that is no excuse when you are in a chocolate craving frenzy! or at least close to one.
A big perk? It takes 10 mins to put together and then your trusty kitchen robots do the rest!


okay I'm gonna go obsess now!
I'll let you know how it turns out.