This is a great old recipe just given a bit of a twist. It is ideal for these colder months, especially with some good old fashioned custard. We start with the bread. You can use slightly stale bread for this dish but we used fresh. The bread I used was a normal sliced white loaf. Some people like to remove the crusts but I like to leave them on as they add a little texture. I buttered one side of the bread and then put it to one side.
To prepare the dish I buttered an oven dish. I then lined it with a layer of foil, another small brush of butter and then a layer of greased proof paper.
I started to layer the bread in the dish, butter side down. After the first layer we sprinkled a few dried apricots, then bread and then we drizzled over some clear honey, repeat this procedure until your dish is full.
Now for the egg mixture; In a bowl we put a mixture of whole eggs and a milk and cream mix. We used a measure of six eggs, half a pint of milk and half a pint of double cream. We then added a sprinkle of cinnamon and a little bit more honey. This was whisked up until all combined together. The total amount you need will of course depend on how big your dish is. We then carefully started to ladle over the egg mix. When the dish looks full, leave it for a while. This is because the bread will slowly absorb the liquid. Then before you put it into the oven, just check the liquid level and top up if necessary. The pudding was then placed in a preheated oven at about 170 degrees or gas mark 5 in a tray of water. This will help the pudding to cook more evenly and not to burn on the bottom. It took about forty five minutes to cook ours but of course larger puddings will take a little more time.
When the pudding is cooked remove from the oven, remove from the water tray and leave to sit for a few minutes. This will settle the pudding and make it a lot easier to serve.
We served ours with a littler custard and a mixture of sliced fruits, well at this time of year you have to at least try to think about eating something healthy. I hope this makes a great end to a wonderful meal.
I hope you enjoy it.
Paul Vincent, Head Chef.