Traditional Fruity And Spiced Bread Pudding - With Brandy!

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 8 ounces sliced bread, crusts removed or 8 -12 slices bread, depending on the thickness
• 2 -3 teaspoons mixed spice
• 6 ounces sultanas (all mixed together) or 6 ounces raisins (all mixed together) or 6 ounces currants (all mixed together)
• 4 ounces candied peel
• 10 fluid ounces milk
• 4 tablespoons brandy
• 3 ounces butter
• 4 ounces soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 orange, zest of, grated
• 1 lemon, zest of, grated
• 1 tablespoon demerara sugar
• grated nutmeg

Recipe

• 1 first marinate the fruit & peel in the brandy - set aside.
• 2 tear the bread into even sized pieces and soak in the milk for about 30 minutes.
• 3 pre-heat oven to 180c/350f/gas 4.
• 4 melt the butter in the microwave or a small saucepan.
• 5 in a large roomy bowl, mix the sugar, beaten eggs, melted butter, spices, orange & lemon zest together, then add the brandy-soaked fruits & mix well again.
• 6 tip it all into the milk soaked bread.
• 7 mix it all together - and then pour into a well buttered baking dish.
• 8 sprinkle demerara sugar on top & add some grated nutmeg if you wish.
• 9 bake for 1 hour, or until the bread pudding is well puffed up, crispy and golden brown. it will sink on cooling, but that's fine!
• 10 cut into squares - serve warm with cream, ice-cream or custard.
• 11 as a final flourish - you can also grate some orange zest over the cream etc!
• 12 n.b. you can also make this with brioche or any type of bread product, as long as it it not too savoury.