Bread and butter pudding
INGREDIENTS
(serves six-eight)
60g unsalted butter softened
12 medium slices of white bread
8 egg yolks
175g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla essence
300ml milk
300ml double cream
25g sultanas
25g raisins
Caster sugar to finish
METHOD
Grease a three-pint pudding basin with butter. Remove the crusts and butter the bread. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a bowl. Split the vanilla pod and place in a pan with the milk and cream. Bring the milk and cream to a simmer then sieve on to the egg yolks stirring continuously.
Arrange the bread in layers in the dish sprinkling the sultanas and raisins in between the layers. Finish with a final layer of bread without any fruit on top as this tends to burn.
Pour the custard over the bread and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Then place the dish in a bain-marie and cook in the oven at 180ºC for 20-30 minutes until the pudding begins to set. Remove from the bain-marie sprinkle liberally with caster sugar and glaze under the grill.