Bread & Butter Pudding

Here is a simple and inexpensive way to use old white bread or toast.  It can be served hot or cold as it is or with vanilla sauce/custard or canned fruit and cream.

Ingredients:
7 - 9 slices of white bread or toast (depending on the size of your baking dish)
60 g butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup (250 ml capacity) sugar
3 cups fresh milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
ground cinnamon (optional)

Method:
Butter each slice of bread and trim the crusts.  Then, cut into 4 triangles.  Arrange the triangles in 2 rows, butter side up, slightly overlapping each other in a buttered ovenproof dish (24 cm x 19 cm or 8 cup capacity).  Then, place another row of triangles on top in the opposite direction.  Sprinkle some raisins in between the bread slices as you go along.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and milk together.  Pour half of custard mixture over the bread triangles and leave aside for about 10 minutes.  This is to ensure that the bread triangles are soaked through and will not "float" during baking.

Whisk remaining custard mixture again and pour over bread triangles.  If you wish, you may sprinkle ground cinnamon on top before baking.  Stand dish in a deep baking tray, with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of dish.  Bake uncovered in a moderately slow oven (160° C) for about 50 minutes or until custard is set.

Happy Baking!