SPANISH BREAD PUDDING

This is the best bread and butter pudding that I have ever eaten!

3 cups (750 ml) fresh full cream milk
1 cup (250 ml) fresh cream
5 T (75 ml) sugar
1 large cinnamon stick
5 cm piece of lemon peel
2 extra large eggs, beaten
¾ French loaf, cut into 2 cm thick slices - I also use raisin bread

Almond Topping
½ cup (50 g) flaked almonds
¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
½ t (2,5 ml) cinnamon

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the milk and cream together with the sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Remove from heat just before reaching boiling point, allow to cool, covered, before removing the cinnamon and lemon peel. Beat the eggs and flavoured milk together.

Place the bread in a snug single layer in a buttered ovenproof dish. Pour the milk mixture over. Cover and leave to soak for a few hours or overnight.

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Almond Topping
Mix together the flaked almonds, sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the bread pudding.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden and fluffy. Very good served with Orange Ice Cream or whipped cream.

Tip
It is better to pre-prepare this dessert the day before and allow the bread to absorb as much of the milk as possible while standing overnight, covered, in the fridge.

Enjoy, it's so good!!

Please see index for recipe for Orange Ice Cream.