Strawberry Bread and Butter Pudding

My Todd is a simple man . . . with traditional tastes and values. He grew up during the War and knows well the deprivations that went along with that era, both during and after the war . . .



It does not take much to please him, and he appreciates most anything you set down in front of him . . .

Just so long as it's not pasta . . . or chocolate.



He even liked school dinners when he was growing up. Not a lot of people did. School dinners have traditionally gotten a bad rap, but not for Todd. He loved them. I suspect I would have probably have loved them too. In any case they would have been better than a cold sandwich and a bruised apple served up in a paper bag, which is what I had!



Anyways, I digress . . . Todd . . . simple man . . . traditional values.

Like bread and butter pudding, which normally has lovely sultanas studded all the way through it. They always kind of burn on the top and get all chewy and scrummy, however . . .

I am not always a traditionalist. I sometimes like to shake the tree a little bit.



Just a little bit mind . . . not so hard that all the coconuts fall out . . . just enough to give things a little bit of a twist . . .



Like your traditional bread and butter pudding. I got to thinking the other day how delicious it would be with a layer of strawberry jam added in the middle . . . kind of like souffled jam sandwiches . . .

all soft and unctuous, with a tasty layer of sweet jam in the middle . . . the custard gently flavoured with lemon zest, cardamom and cinnamon . . . oh and with a traditional dusting of nutmeg on top . . .



This was some good. Warm and comforting and delicious. School room flavours . . . with a grown up touch.

Kind of like a Queen of Puddings . . . without the meringue . . . but somehow better. With just enough spice and lemon to really bring out the lovely strawberry flavour.

It went down a real treat!



*Strawberry Bread and Butter Pudding*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious bread and butter pudding with the added twist of a layer of tasty Strawberry Jam.

1 ounce softened butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
8 thin slices of sturdy white bread
good quality strawberry jam
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
the grated zest of one lemon
12 ounces whole milk
2 ounced double cream
2 large free range eggs
1 ounce caster sugar
grated nutmeg to taste
demerara sugar for sprinkling

Butter a 2 pint pie dish with butter. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4.

Trim the crusts off of the bread and butter each slice on one side. Spread half of the slices thickly with some strawberry jam, on the unbuttered side. Put together with the other half of the slices like little jam sandwiches, with the buttered sides showing on the outside of each. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and then place into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and cardamom.

Place the milk in a pan over low heat. Add the lemon zest. Scald. (Heat just until you see bubbles appearing around the edges. Do not let it boil.) Whisk in the cream.

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and beat together well. Whisk in the heated milk slowly. Strain the resulting custard into a beaker, then pour this custard over the bread mixture. Let stand for about 30 minutes so that it is absorbed somewhat. Sprinkle with some freshly grated nutmeg and a dusting of demerara sugar.

Place into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is a golden brown. Serve warm.

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