White Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

Tue, 7 March 2017

(Serves 6)

This is a simple twist on a classic dish. This is a wonderful treat to take out of the oven after the traditional Sunday roast and because it is so simple to make that just adds to the appeal. Feel free to leave out the white chocolate but it does just add an extra richness to the dessert.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of sliced bread-buttered and crusts removed (approx 12-16 slices)
7oz/200g caster sugar
5 large eggs
18floz/500ml milk
3 ½ floz/100ml pouring cream
3oz/75g sultanas
4oz/110g white chocolate
2oz/50g flaked almonds-optional
¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Butter all the slices of bread and cut off the crusts.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Put the milk and cream into a large saucepan and heat gently (almost to the boil)
Layer the bread up in a 9 or 10inch oven proof dish and scatter the soaked and drained sultanas in between each layer or bread. You should end up with three (or four) layers of bread altogether with the sultanas scattered in between each. The top layer should be just bread (DO NOT PUT SULTANAS ON THE TOP). You should use 2oz/50g of sugar should be scattered in between each layer also.
Break the 5 eggs into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining 5oz/150g sugar and beat together until combined. Add in the white chocolate at this stage (chocolate drops or a bar-chopped finely).

Add the cinnamon to the eggs and sugar and pour the boiled milk & cream over the egg and chocolate mixture and whisk well until combined. Slowly pour all of this mixture over the bread and butter and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes to allow the milk to infuse into the bread.
Scatter the flaked almonds on the top of the soaked pudding at this stage
Put into the oven and bake for 40 minutes until the pudding is well risen and almost set to the touch.
Serve with butterscotch sauce and cream.

Additional Tips:

• If you wish you can leave out the white chocolate or even substitute it for dark. 
• Sultanas should be rinsed in hot water before use and if you wish (or if time allows) you can soak them for approximately 30 minutes in either orange juice or whiskey for a more developed flavour.
• You can have the pudding assembled and soaked in advance and leave it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.