Winter food to warm the soul.....

"With winter comes a need for warmth and a hankering for comfort food. Winter is the time of year when we crave warm, home-cooked food.We all crave a bit of heat on the inside, or rather for the insides, when it’s cold outside.  Which is why winter is the perfect time for soul-soothing, heart-warming dishes. It is a time for hearty soups, "hot" curries, thick stews, Hungarian Goulash, Stuffed Peppers, warm puddings and aromatic Gluhwein with cinnamon, spices and winter fruits - Winter is tasty, comforting, and crazy delicious....! Over the next few months I will be sharing some of my families and my favourite dishes...I hope they bring you warmth and comfort during the cold winter days and nights!"

Bread & Butter Pudding ~ It's simple, fast, oh so comforting

 

Ingredients:

A loaf of any kind of bread ~ preferably a few days old
Butter ~ enough for buttering each piece of bread
1x 250g Marmalade or Smooth Apricot jam
2x Jumbo eggs
250ml Full cream milk
250ml Fresh Cream
1x TBSP (15ml) Vanilla Essence
2 x TBSP (30ml) Sugar

Half a cup of white raisins ~ soaked in brandy for a couple of hours, till plump & soft

Method:

 

1. Preheat your over to 180 Degrees Celsius.
2. Generously butter an over proof dish ~ do not use a spray!
3. Cut your bread or loaf into pieces that are about 2cm in thickness.  Spread each piece with butter and marmalade or apricot jam, and place in the oven proof  dish.  Drain your raisins, and sprinkle a few on each layer of bread that you lay.  Leave a little marmalade or jam for the top.
4. In a jug break your eggs and whisk, add the milk, cream, vanilla essence, sugar and whisk well. Slowly pour over your layers of bread, so that the bread soaks up the liquid mixture.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until set.
6. In a saucepan, over a low heat soften the marmalade or jam, you may need to add a little water, so it has a syrup texture. 
7. Remove your pudding from the over and brush the syrup over the top, turn your oven onto grill, and grill the top of your pudding till golden brown and crispy.  Serve hot with Vanilla Ice Cream or Custard.

Enjoy the comfort and warmth of this winter favourite!


The Dining Bachelorette