Go figure!
I *might could’ve* over cooked a wee, tiny bit for a gathering, and found myself with some surprising leftovers, such as an entire loaf of Aunt Beezy’s Soda Bread with dried cherries – this time made with 1:1 gluten free flour, which, turns out, works a treat.
Aunt Beezy’s bread is a household favorite, but with just the two of us, there was no way I was gonna be able to use it up before it started to get moldy.
What to do?
Why, bread pudding, of course!
INGREDIENTS
•6 slices old bread, torn into small pieces
•2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
•1/2 cup raisins (optional)*
•2 cups milk
•3/4 cup white sugar
•4 large eggs, beaten
•1/2 tsp cinnamon
•1/2 tsp allspice
•1 tsp vanilla
*I already had dried cherries added to my soda bread, so I skipped the raisins.
Note: what kind of bread? It is up to you! I used my soda bread, but most any would work, though I would probably stick to milder or sweet styles, such as brioche.
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Cut the bread into thick slices, and then cube those slices and scatter in the bottom of an eight inch square baking pan.
Pour the melted butter over the bread and (if using) sprinkle raisins over top.
Whisk the milk together with the sugar, eggs, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until well combined.
Pour evenly over the bread pieces in the baking pan, then, using a fork, lightly push down the bread pieces so that they are more or less submerged and soaking up the liquid.
Pop into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the pudding is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched.
Note: my bread pudding looked as though it needed a bit more baking time, so I left it in for another ten minutes.
Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Butterscotch sauce optional, but totally lovely.