Bread and Butter Pudding√

Bread Pudding is an abomination. There. I've said it. It's heavy, stodgy and bad for you. I don't know who decided to make it without the butter but it really is a crime to make it without. My friend John taught me to butter both sides of the bread (the Italian way) rather than just one side (the British way). This elevates it to something divine.

Day old bread - white is best - or a mixture of white and brown - heavy brown bread does not make the best pudding
Butter - unsalted, at room temp or soft enough for easy spreading
Sugar
Maple syrup
Milk
Eggs
Vanilla essence

Optional extras: Chocolate chips or raisins or apricots etc.

I never measure anything for this recipe - I put in what feels right - adding a bit of this or that - making sure there are about 1 egg per cup of milk

Slice the bread - remove the crusts and butter on both sides
Butter a ceramic or glass baking dish
Layer the bread with a few dried fruits or chocolate chips in between each layer
Whisk milk, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla essence
Pour over the top until the bread is all covered
Cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours (so the bread soaks up the juices) or overnight
Sprinkle with extra sugar and grated nutmeg or cinnamon

Bake at 300-325 degrees for a good 45 minutes or longer if you have a big dish
It should be golden brown - all puffed up - and smelling like heaven
Make sure you have an audience for when you pull it out of the oven as it tends to fall fairly quickly.