Summer is now drawing to a close and suddenly with cooler around the corner I’m thinking of making warm puddings.  I haven’t made bread and butter pudding for ages, but with some spare bread and a glut of eggs, it made the perfect end to a meal.  White bread makes a lighter pudding, but brown has extra flavour.  For a more indulgent dessert, use croissants, brioche or panettone

Serves 4uncooked bread and butter pudding

3 slices of bread

3 small eggs

290ml/ 1/2 pint milk

1 dessert spoon caster sugar

1 handful raisins

1 handful currants

butter and marmalade to spread on the bread

large pinch of mixed spice.

  • Spread the butter and marmalade onto the slices of bread.  Try to get right to the edges.
  • Cut the slices into quarters and layer in an ovenproof dish.
  • Mix the eggs, milk and sugar together and pour over the bread.
  • Scatter over the currants and sultanas, sprinkle over the mixed spice.
  • Set aside for 20-30 min to allow the bread to soak up some of the egg mixture.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas5.
  • Place in a bain-marie, put into the oven and cook for 45min.*just out of the oven bread and butter pudding
  • * A bain-marie is a roasting tin half filled with hot water, used to cook custards etc.  The food is protected from the fierce heat of the oven and cooks in a gentle steamy atmosphere.