Combine orange, chocolate for bread pudding

The appealing combination of orange and chocolate makes this bread pudding special. The recipe from the American Heart Association's "Low-Fat and Luscious Desserts" (Potter, $22.50) lets you enjoy it for its healthful characteristics, too.

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For an extra treat, make an easy chocolate rum sauce to go with it. You can make the sauce ahead of time; store it in the refrigerator, then use it warm or cold to dress up other desserts as simple as nonfat frozen yogurt.

The recipes are among about 100 winners in the book, giving you, as the title promises, both good taste and low-fat nutrition.

Chocolate Orange

Bread Pudding

Vegetable oil spray

1 pound French bread, torn into bite-size pieces

3 cups fat-free milk

1 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg, or 1 large regular egg

2 tablespoons orange zest (from about 2 medium oranges), see note

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan with vegetable oil. Put bread pieces in pan. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat milk, sugar and cocoa powder over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture looks like hot chocolate, about 3 minutes, whisking constantly.

Whisk in remaining ingredients. Pour over bread and let mixture sit for about 15 minutes, or until bread has absorbed all the liquid.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until pudding is puffed up in center and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 18 servings (one 2-by-2-inch slice per serving).

Note: Use a zester or kitchen rasp to get the top layer of citrus peel without also getting any of the white pith, which is bitter.

Nutrition information per serving: 172 cal., 5 g pro., 37 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 1 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 1 mg chol., 181 mg sodium.

Chocolate Rum Sauce

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons light stick margarine

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup white or dark rum or fruit-flavored liqueur

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and margarine; cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Makes 12 servings (2 tablespoons per serving).

Nutrition information per serving: 128 cal., 1 g pro., 24 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 3 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg chol., 47 mg sodium.