Bread & Butter Pudding

Hi All

I have been obsessing about make this for ageeees! But as it is wheat based and I never can eat just a little bit of it I really needed to make this when I had guest coming over. Oh well no guest came, so I went ahead and made it anyway, PB’s Banana Hard do Bread & Butter pudding.




I used to love Hard do bread when I was young, it is a Jamaica bread which is slightly heavier and sweeter than English style bread. I'd love to cut extra thick slices toasted with lots of butter and a thin layer of jam, mmmm!

Ingredients

Large eggs x3
Whole milk 600ml
Evaporated milk 1x400g can
Single cream 250ml
Caster sugar 200g
Light brown sugar x2 tbsp.
Nutmeg ½ tsp.
Mixed spice ½ tsp.
Ground Cinnamon pinch
Hard do bread 1 few days old, hand cut slices
Large bananas x3
Vanilla flavouring x2 tsp.
Unsalted butter as needed to butter dish and bread

I normally use natural vanilla extract, or vanilla pods in my cooking, but as this is a Jamaican dish from my childhood, I had to use the vanilla I grew up with and loved as a child.

Yeah I know it says Culinary Flavoring, Artificial Vanilla which is something I normally stay away from, but it just had to be done.

Method

Make the custard first. Whisk the milk, evaporated milk, caster sugar, eggs spices and vanilla in a pan over a low heat. Warm the mixture gently, lightly whisking constantly so the mixture slightly thickens, and doesn’t get any lumps. Add the cream and keep on whisking for another 5 minutes or when it is thick enough to leave a light film of custard on the back of a wooden spoon. Take the pan off the fire, and leave to one side until needed.

Preheat the oven 180C/gas 4, butter a large ovenproof serving dish, and leave to one side until needed.

Cut generous slices of bread, and then cut in half. Butter both sides and layer the bottom of dish with them, take one banana, peel and slice lengthways and layer over the bread, ladle over some the custard mixture and then sprinkle one tbsp. of brown sugar.

Add another layer of butter bread and press down in the dish. Peel the other banana and put lengthways slices over the bread. Ladle the rest of the custard mixture all over the bread making sure the bread is well soaked. Leave to sit for 10 minutes for the bread to absorb the custard. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top and put in the oven and leave for 30-40 minutes, or until it has risen and is nice and brown.

Serve with a big dollop of ice-cream and enjoy!

Bye for now!
PBX