Apricot Bread & Butter Pudding

I found myself with half a loaf of stale white bread this week.  I had bought it to make sandwiches with the other day and it didn't get all used up.  I don't like waste so I thought I would make one of Todd's favourite desserts.  Bread and Butter Pudding.  He doesn't get it very often because most of the time we use whole wheat bread with a bit of rye in it and that doesn't translate very well into a bread and butter pudding. Although having said that I have never really tried. Food for thought there folks, food for thought  . . . 

 

I think Bread and Butter Pudding has to be one of the easiest puddings to make. If you can butter bread, you can make bread and butter pudding!

 

You want your bread to be quite stale. (NOT moldy.)  If it is a tiny bit dry, so much the better. That allows it to soak up the custard better.

 

Of course you can make it just with slices of buttered bread, but why not add something special and make it with buttered jam sandwiches . . .  apricot jam sandwiches!!

 

Having said that any jam would work.  Strawberry.  Raspberry.  Black currant.  Blueberry. Cherry. Apricot is especially fine however, plus you have the added bonus of it not dying your pudding an un-godly freakish grey colour.

 

Other than the setting time for the custard to soak into the bread, it goes together really quickly and is delicious served slightly warm with lashings of double cream.  Rich.  Delicious.  The perfect pud to spoil a husband with on a rainy day.

  

*Apricot Bread & Butter Pudding*
Serves 4

Printable Recipe 

 

A delicious bread and butter pudding with the added twist of a layer of sweet apricot jam. 

2 TBS softened butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
8 thin slices of sturdy white bread (stale is best)
good quality apricot jam
the grated zest of one lemon
330ml whole milk (1 1/3 cup)
60ml  double cream (1/4 cup)
2 large free range eggs
30g caster sugar (2 1/2 TBS)
freshly grated nutmeg
demerara sugar for sprinkling 

 

 Butter a 2 pint pie dish with butter.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. 

Trim the crusts off of the bread and butter each slice on one side.  Spread half of the slices thickly with some apricot jam, on the unbuttered side.  Put together with the other half of the slices like little jam sandwiches, with the buttered sides showing on the outside of each.  Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and then place into the prepared dish. 

Place the milk in a pan over low heat.  Add the lemon zest.  Scald.  (Heat just until you see bubbles appearing around the edges.  Do not let it boil.)  Whisk in the cream. 

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and beat together well.  Whisk in the heated milk slowly.  Strain the resulting custard into a beaker, then pour this custard over the bread mixture.  Let stand for about 30 minutes so that it is absorbed somewhat.  Sprinkle with some freshly grated nutmeg and a dusting of demerara sugar. 

Place into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is a golden brown.  Serve warm.

  

You know, I really believe that it is the simple things in life which bring us the most joy, don't you?  Bon Appetit!

 Note - I did dust it with a bit of icing sugar for photography purposes.  Its not really necessary to do that.