There was a time in the past, when reading a recipe, that I would see the words "ramekin" or "water bath" and I would recoil in fear and quickly turn the page.  In my inexperience, I simply assumed that anything involving those things was going to be way too complex, reserved only for veteran chefs. 

Then one brave day, I decided "why not" and gave it a try.  To my surprise, I had been intimidating myself out of recipes that were so easy ...various custards, creams, cheesecakes, and bread puddings.  Today, even my kids know how to make creme brulee...and they do not fear the ramekin (my 4-year-old daughter calls them "wamekins") as I did when I was younger. 

Certain desserts require a little extra temperature regulation so that they don't get scorched, cracked, crusty, or rubbery.  Most commonly, egg-based dishes such as custards need to be cooked more gently since the proteins can bind up and get tough if cooked with high, direct heat.   The hot water bath (also called a bain-marie) keeps the surrounding heat a bit more mild and moist than the direct heat of being placed on an oven rack.  The method is simple:  Put your filled ramekins or pan in a large, deep baking dish and fill at least halfway with very hot water.  Bake.

Here is an easy bread pudding, flavored with Trader Joe's delicious chai mix and sweetened with a little agave nectar.  If you like the flavors of chai and vanilla, you'll like this dessert. 

Vanilla Chai Bread Pudding

A little more than 1/2 of a 1-lb challah loaf cubed into 1/2-inch chunks (about 6 cups worth)
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 Tbsp Spicy Chai Latte Mix powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup agave nectar

You will also need six 6-oz ramekins (These are the smaller size ones which are 3.5 inch diameter)

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Place the cubed bread in a medium sized bowl.
3.) In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, cream, powder, vanilla, and agave.  Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and all the powder has dissolved. 
4.) Pour the mixture over the bread and let it soak for 10 minutes.  Do not stir since that will create a mush.  Once or twice, using a large spoon or spatula, gently flip some of the bread over so that the mixture soaks in evenly.
5.) Fill each well-buttered or oiled ramekin with some of the bread.  Press gently to compact slightly.
6.) Place ramekins in a baking dish and fill the baking dish with hot water until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
7.) Place in oven (carefully!), drape with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes until the bread pudding is firm in the center. 
8.) Pop out of ramekin if desired.  Serve warm with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or drizzle with chocolate sauce.  In the photos, I garnished it with a piece of candied ginger.