BREAD PUDDING WITH STEWED DRIED FRUIT

Ingredients

 for the bread pudding

• 8 slices white bread , crust removed
• 1 litre milk 
• 4 tablespoons custard powder mixed with half a cup of milk 
• 8 large eggs 
• 1 cup of sugar 
• 2 tablespoons of soft butter 
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence 
• 3 cardamom pods 
• 3 cinnamon sticks

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons of fine apricot jam 
• 4 tablespoons of boiling water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter for a minute ... next add the eggs and beat well for about 2 minutes. Next add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until you see the bread is well incorporated and quite mushy and the sugar has dissolved . Pour the mixture in a greased deep baking oven pan and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 55 minutes or until you see the edges turn a golden brown . Remove from oven. 

For the sauce

1. Next step mix together 2 tablespoons of fine apricot jam with 4 tablespoons of boiling water until smooth. Pour this mixture over the hot pudding. 
2. Take it a step further and make stewed dried fruit by boiling 2 cups of mixed dried fruit in 3 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar and 2 cinnamon sticks until the stewed fruit is soft and covered in a sweet and sticky sugar syrup. Place the stewed fruit on top of the bread pudding and serve. 

Bread Pudding with Stewed Dried Fruit PICTURE: Fatima Sydow