Try this amazing bread-and-butter pudding
Can there be a more comforting dessert for the middle of winter than a steaming bread-and-butter pudding? We think not, and our take on this version by Nigella (originally from her gran, for an extra dose of comfort) is perfection.
Ingredients:
- 50 g sultanas (optional)
- 3 T dark rum (optional)
- 1 brioche loaf, sliced
- 8 T unsalted butter, softened
- 12 T ginger preserve or marmalade (or 6 T of each)
- 1 orange, sliced
- 4 free range egg yolks
- 1 free range egg
- 3 T sugar
- 2 cups cream
- 1 cup milk, plus 2 T
- ½ t ground ginger
- ½ t ground cinnamon
- ½ t ground cardamom
- 2 T Demerara or brown sugar
- Custard, for serving
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a shallow 25cm baking dish with a little butter. If you’re using the rum, place the sultanas in a small bowl, pour over the rum and microwave for 1 minute, then leave to stand.
- Make sandwiches using the brioche loaf, butter and preserve or marmalade (2 T in each sandwich); you should have some butter left over to smear the tops later. Cut the sandwiches in half (into triangles) and arrange them evenly along the middle of the dish. Put one in the dish with the point-side uppermost and so on, then squeeze a sandwich-triangle down each side. Slide slices of orange in-between the sandwiches, if using. Sprinkle with the sultanas and unabsorbed rum (if using) that remains in the bowl.
- Whisk the egg yolks and egg together with the sugar, and mix in the cream, milk and spices. Pour over the bread and leave it to soak up the liquid for about 10 minutes, by which time the pudding is ready to go into the oven. Smear the bread crusts that are poking out of the custard with the soft butter, sprinkle the Demerara sugar on the buttered crusts and then lightly over the rest of the pudding.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the custard has set and puffed up slightly. Remove, allow to stand for 10 minutes, by which time the puffiness will have deflated somewhat, and spoon out into bowls. Serve with custard on the side.
Cook’s note: This is a great way to use up any leftover bread. Add some nuts or chocolate or whatever you have. Raisin bread is a great alternative if you can’t find brioche or sultanas.
Not a big baker?