Bread Pudding

Slightly overcooked! 

This is a good way to use up stale bread or when you bake enough soda bread for an army and it goes hard. Don't worry if you haven't got all the ingredients, this is just a guide, and adapts well to whatever is at hand, fruit or sugar-wise. It tastes better with an egg, but it's still good without.

Ingredients

8oz (225g) old bread of whatever variety (better with crusts cut off)

10 fl oz (275ml) milk

2 oz (50g) melted butter (use defrost in microwave)

3 oz (75g) soft brown sugar (any sugar will do)

1 egg, beaten

2 level teaspoon mixed spice

1 beaten egg

6 oz (175g) mixed fruit (or not mixed depending on your store cupboard, or chopped fresh fruit a bit past its best).

Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 180c, 350f, or gas mark 4

Grease a baking dish with butter (I use a lasagna dish).

Break the bread into chunks in a bowl, pour over the milk and leave for half hour.

Once the bread has soaked up all the milk add melted butter, sugar, mixed spice and beaten egg.

Mix well with a fork to break up the lumps, then stir in fruit.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish, sprinkle with nutmeg.

Cook for about 1-1 ¼  hours. Sprinkle with a little sugar and serve hot, or cold.