Bread pudding
My father has been on a bread pudding kick for several months. As in, nearly every time we've gone to the grocery store in recent weeks, he's looked for bread pudding only to come away disappointed. He's then gotten on my case about finding a recipe so that I can make some. Since his birthday is coming up at the end of the month, I dug out a recipe, intending to make it for him then. Oh, no--he started thinking of ingredients while we were at the grocery store this weekend. When mom found out about it, she wasn't very happy--she is in her sixth week of Weight Watchers and has lost five pounds--and then she started saying things like, I'll bet raisin bread would be really good in it! I am no bread pudding expert; if you're not, either, think of it sort of like baked French toast.
Bread pudding
5 slices day old bread (I used cinnamon swirl raisin bread)
1-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter
1-1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon (The directions called for cinnamon and sugar, so I made this half cinnamon, half sugar)
3 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. raisins
Cut crust from bread. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Cut each slice into quarters. Arrange in a greased 1 quart baking dish in layers, sprinkling each layer with raisins. Beat eggs just enough to blend thoroughly. Stir in 1/3 cup sugar, milk, and vanilla. Continue stirring while pouring over bread and raisins. Preheat oven to 350F. Set baking dish in pan containing 1 inch hot water. Bake for 55 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Notes: A regular casserole/9x13 dish worked well for the water bath container. I used too much water, though, but I have no idea if that truly affected the end product. My oven took a full hour, but the pudding still seemed a tad liquidy at the end. It wasn't bad--my father really enjoyed it, and there wasn't any left at the end of the night.
Bread pudding
5 slices day old bread (I used cinnamon swirl raisin bread)
1-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter
1-1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon (The directions called for cinnamon and sugar, so I made this half cinnamon, half sugar)
3 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. raisins
Cut crust from bread. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Cut each slice into quarters. Arrange in a greased 1 quart baking dish in layers, sprinkling each layer with raisins. Beat eggs just enough to blend thoroughly. Stir in 1/3 cup sugar, milk, and vanilla. Continue stirring while pouring over bread and raisins. Preheat oven to 350F. Set baking dish in pan containing 1 inch hot water. Bake for 55 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Notes: A regular casserole/9x13 dish worked well for the water bath container. I used too much water, though, but I have no idea if that truly affected the end product. My oven took a full hour, but the pudding still seemed a tad liquidy at the end. It wasn't bad--my father really enjoyed it, and there wasn't any left at the end of the night.