Bread and Butter Pudding

The weather wasn’t very nice the last few days and I was feeling quite low. And you guys already know that there is only one remedy for me when I'm down in the dumps, missing family. And that is…. DESSERT! I wanted to make a dessert that reminded me of home, my childhood and would keep me warm when it was so cold out. And it just came to me… why don’t I make a bread and butter pudding.

This week I was all over the place, we planned to do sandwiches for lunch over the weekend but we ended up going to a BBQ and a wedding so that bread was just sitting there, waiting for me to do something with it. It was looking as sad as I was feeling, so bread and butter pudding it is.

Usually I leave my bread to go slightly stale. The reason we let the bread go stale before making this pudding is so that it absorbs all that custard mixture while it sets before baking. If the bread is fresh, it won’t set.

Another difference in the one I make and maybe some other recipes, is that I add cinnamon but no nutmeg to my recipe. That’s just a flavour preference, so you can add nutmeg if you wish.

What do you serve your bread and butter pudding with? We give everyone OPTIONS! We can either go with double cream, custard or even ice cream. We serve it with all three. What would you eat it with?

Preparation Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40-45 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter- room temperature

10 sliced shite bread- crusts cut off and cut in half diagonally

1/4 cup apricot jam- room temperature

1/2 cup golden sultanas

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg- optional

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

4 tablespoons sugar- divided

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons brown sugar- for topping

Extra butter- for greasing the pan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with butter. Set it aside

2. Spread butter and jam on one side of the bread.

3. Cover the base with the bread, in a single layer.

4. Top with sultanas, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar.

5. Repeat the later with the bread, sultanas , cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Set it aside.

6. In a saucepan, heat the milk and cream to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL! Set it aside.

7. In bowl, whisk the eggs with 3 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla until pale.

8. Slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture until all the milk is added.

9. Strain the egg mixture, then pour it over the bread.

10. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

11. Set it aside for 30 minutes.

12. Place into the oven for 45 minutes at 180c, until golden.

13. Serve hot with double cream, custard or even ice cream.