Sibyl's biscuit tin - bread pudding

Bread pudding is a great old fashioned way to use up your stale leftover bread. It's an even better way to use up stale leftover brioche. Yep i know i've got your attention now.

Such a classic recipe with so many interpretations. Although i love bread pudding i don't make it often and don't have a 'go to' recipe for it. I've tried many in the past, some were too eggy, some too milky, some didn't set well. But, Ladies and Gentlemen i think we have a winner!

From the Aunt Daisy baking book - Bread pudding

2 cups stale bread 

4 cups milk

1/2 C raisins

2 eggs, beaten until light

1/2C sugar

1/4 t salt

1 t vanilla

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t cloves

1/4 t nutmeg

(the recipes says the spices are optional, i say they totally are not)

Soak the bread and spices in milk until  the bread is soft (about an hour)

Once soft, mash together

Heat together with the raisins until nearly boiling (i forgot to do this and just chucked it together cold)

Mix together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla.

Add to the bread mixture

Pour into a baking dish and bake until set, about an hour at 170 degrees C

The recipe also said to make this in a water bath - which means placing the baking dish filled with pudding  in a pan of water in the oven. This technique is designed to stop delicate ingredients such as milk and eggs separating or curdling while cooking. Again i didn't do this, partly because i didn't see that instruction in the recipe and partly because i had a screaming toddler on one hip trying to get this finished and in the oven.

Either way it still turned out fine, next time i might try the water bath and see what difference it makes. I'll be sure to let you know!

Brioche all shredded up

Soaking with milk and spices

The mixture before going into the oven.

Golden and ready to eat! This pudding isn't going to win any beauty pageants but it sure is a winner in taste. I  warn you now this is quite spicy so if you're not a spice person i'd half the spices. Or you could do what i did, read the recipe wrong and add 1/2t  instead of 1/4 t of nutmeg. Still amazing but very spicy.

The perfect comforting dessert to end a busy day.

Also the perfect breakfast start to your day

 (hey why not! the food police probably don't know where you live...)

Have a great week everyone.

xxx