Bread And Butter Pudding

Total Time: 5 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 100 g dried apricots, finely sliced
• 50 g sultanas
• 75 ml whiskey
• 300 g rustic bread, 2 days old, sliced and crusts removed
• 50 g butter, softened
• 600 ml whole milk
• 400 ml whipping cream
• 1 vanilla pod, slit in half lengthways
• 6 -7 eggs
• 50 -100 g caster sugar
• 50 g sliced almonds
• 200 g unsalted butter, melted
• 75 g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• whiskey

Recipe

• 1 place the apricots, sultanas and whiskey in a bowl and put aside for four hours to allow them to macerate.
• 2 pre-heat the oven to 130°c.
• 3 butter the bread on both sides and place in a bowl, letting the slices overlap. arrange some of the macerated fruit between the layers and sprinkle the rest on top.
• 4 whisk the sugar and eggs together (7 eggs if they're small-medium, 6 if they're large or extra large).
• 5 slice the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds into a pan with the milk and cream. chop the pod husk into 1-inch chunks and also place that in the pan.
• 6 gently bring to the boil then remove the chunks of pod (these can be rinsed and dried then put in a jar with sugar to make vanilla-infused sugar).
• 7 bring the pan back to the boil and then pour it over the egg and sugar mix, whisking as you pour.
• 8 pour the custard over the bread, ensuring you soak it all thoroughly then allow to rest for 10 minutes. sprinkle the top with the flaked almonds.
• 9 place the bowl in a bain-marie filled with boiling water (to the level of the custard) and bake gently for 35-45 minutes, until the custard has set.
• 10 meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking the egg yolks and sugar, with 1tbsp of the whiskey over a pan of simmering water, until the eggs have cooked.
• 11 remove from the heat and beat in the melted butter a little at a time.
• 12 once the butter has been absorbed, add whiskey to taste and serve drizzled over the bread and butter pudding.