An old family favourite always in fashion, using old bread and adding milk, sugar, eggs and sultanas makes an inexpensive, tasty and filling dessert. In this recipe I’ve added a bit of luxury using buttery brioche, baileys and cream.
Serves 6
Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4
1 oz butter
10 slices brioche
55g/2oz sultanas
12fl ozs/350ml milk
2fl ozs/50ml single or double cream
3 large free-range eggs well beaten
1oz/25g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence or a vanilla bean pod in which case split the pod and scrape out the seeds.
A good splash of baileys Irish cream liquor
Lightly grease a 1 litre/2-pint pie dish and layer half the brioche triangles into the dish. Sprinkle over half the sultanas. Layer second half of brioche triangles and the reminder of the sultanas.
Place milk, and vanilla pod seeds if using or vanilla essence, cream and liquor into a saucepan and gently heat. Whisk the eggs, and sugar until pale and light but not thick. Still whisking, slowly add the warmed milk/cream/liquor mixture to form a thin custard. Very slowly pour this custard over the brioche triangles taking care to push the surface of the brioche to absorb the custard. Leave for 20 minutes to infuse.
Bake the pudding for 40 minutes. It is ready when well risen and the bread is a rich dark golden brown and even a little crispy around the edges.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle caster sugar over the warm pudding. Serve with a generous helping of softly whipped cream or a little homemade custard.