Sweet Roll Bread Pudding

In January I made a lovely whole wheat and cinnamon sweet roll using dough that had fresh persimmon in it. Even though it was delicious, Sweetie and I weren't able to finish the ring I made, so later in the month I made bread pudding using chunks of it as the bread part. Then I had a whole bunch of other stuff to do, so it never got posted. You can also make this just as written, using plain dry bread cubes. I didn't add the cinnamon since there was plenty in the sweet rolls, but otherwise the ingredients are almost the same. I added a diced apple along with the raisins. You really couldn't taste any of the persimmon, so if you make this with the bread you have on hand it will be great! This time I only made half the usual recipe (usual recipe is below) so Sweetie and I each had two servings. Yum!

I love bread pudding. I makes a great breakfast and a wonderful afternoon snack, plus is awesome for dessert in the evening. Along with chunks of stale bread, you use hot milk, some butter or margarine, some sugar, eggs, and flavorings. I often add fresh and/or dried fruit, especially raisins. It's not fast food because you soak the stale bread in the milk/sugar/egg mixture for a while so that the bread becomes softer and the custard is in every part of the dish, not just coating the outside of the bread. Still, it isn't difficult and you end up with a soft, custardy, sweet, fruity (if you used added fruit), flavorful comfort food. You can dress it up with some half and half or a scoop of ice cream, or if you are feeling decadent you can add some caramel sauce, but it is fine all by itself. I like it served warm, but Sweetie ate one of his two servings cold for breakfast. 

Bread Pudding with  Raisins and Cinnamon      

A recipe from 1971, from a Fredricksburg, Maryland friend, Gale 

4 cups dry bread cubes          1/4 teaspoon salt           

3 cups milk, scalded               1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter                1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 slightly beaten eggs            1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar                         1/4 cup raisins

½ teaspoon lemon zest                                  

                       

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Melt the butter in the milk. Add a little of the milk to the beaten eggs, then add eggs to rest of milk. Stir in the sugar, lemon zest, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.

3) Put the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the egg/milk mixture over, stir gently, and let sit 15-30 minutes.

4) Butter a large baking pan. A deep one will give a softer center, a shallower one will give more crispy crust. Gently stir raisins into bread mixture and pour into baking pan.

5) Bake in a pan of hot water until firm, about 1 hour. Serve warm.