Rose’s splendid bread and butter pudding

If you are rereading this – please note that there are 3 eggs in the custard, which I omitted from the recipe when I first wrote it!

The week before Christmas… it gets a bit hectic and yet people still need to be fed. Sometimes – as in our case, family have already arrived home and are with us… What to feed them? What’s easy and delicious? How about bread and butter pudding – my friend Rose has a splendid recipe!!

Rose’s splendid bread and butter pudding

• 2 oz dried fruit  – very nice if you soak them in orange juice or brandy overnight
•  butter  as much as you need
• 8 slices  stale  bread – brown, white, fruited,… whatever’s left over

Custard

• 200 ml whole milk
• vanilla essence
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsps brown sugar (and some for sprinkling on top)
• 4 fl oz cream
•  nutmeg

1. butter the bread, place half in a well buttered dish, sprinkle over half  the fruit the repeat
2. heat the milk and  vanilla but take care not to boil
3.  add the lemon zest and let it cool
4. beat the eggs, sugar and cream and milk and stir really well
5. our over the bread and fruit and leave until it’s all soaked in (if it looks dry add more milk/cream)
6. dot with butter and sprinkle with the rest of the brown sugar and the nutmeg
7.  cook at 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4,  for 35-45 or so mins until lovely and brown
8. if you can manage tow wait,  let it stand fora while before serving