Week 18 - Bread and Butter Pudding

I have always thought I would enjoy bread and butter pudding but have never got around to ordering it or attempting to make it at home. I was inspired by a friend who had a status update about making it for dessert so started hunting for a recipe. This one sounded like Bread and Butter Pudding with a difference and I couldn't wait to try it.

It ended up being so easy to make, even the custard which I had only ever made once before. The only think I would say is the custard ended up not being that smooth, not sure if it was supposed to be like that or if it was due to having the bread in there. It ended up with a lovely crust over the top and I am looking forward to eating it again and again and again.

Book: Cook with Jamie

Recipe: Good Old Bread and Butter Pudding with Marmalade Glaze, Cinnamon and Orange Butter

Ingredients: 

Serves 8

For the flavoured butter

100 g unsalted butter, softened

1 large pinch ground nutmeg

1 large pinch ground cinnamon

zest of 1 orange

For the pudding

8 x 1 cm slices good-quality bread

9 large free-range eggs

140 g caster sugar

500 ml semi-skimmed milk

565 ml single cream

1 vanilla pod, scored lengthways and seeds removed

4 tablespoons good-quality fine-cut marmalade

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. First make your flavoured butter by mixing the butter with the nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest. Use a little of it to butter a medium-sized shallow, ovenproof dish.

Butter the bread using the flavoured butter, then cut each slice in half diagonally. Put the slices in your buttered dish. Now separate the eggs, reserving all 9 yolks but just 1 egg white. Whisk together the egg yolks and egg white with the sugar, then gently heat the milk and cream in a saucepan with the vanilla seeds and pod. Pour into the eggs, stirring all the time. Remove the vanilla pod then pour the mixture over the bread and leave to soak for at least 20 minutes. Put the dish in a roasting tray and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the dish. Then put it in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes until the custard has just set. Meanwhile, gently warm the marmalade in a saucepan, then remove the dish from the oven and brush the marmalade over the top of the bread. Pop the dish back into the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Allow it to cool and firm up slightly before serving.

Changes Made: I only had vanilla essence at home so opted for that instead of the pod. 

Results: Amazing! This was so easy to make, even for a newbie at custard. The marmalade made a kind of crunchy glaze over the top of the bread which was a fantastic contrast of the custard. 

Next Time: Nothing, well maybe a vanilla pod, but really everything was delicious.