Apple and Raisin Bread Pudding

The night before we took off for our annual family vacation, I whipped up this carb heavy dessert (turned decadent breakfast should there be leftovers) as a parting/happy holidays offering for my beloved grandmother. Due to recent complications with her health, she's not allowed to eat too much sweet, fatty or really just rich foods. I thought some juiced up bread pudding would be a good treat for her (if her blood sugar level cooperated, which it did).

Bread pudding is the easiest and quickest thing to whip up, and yet it's so rewarding to scoop into one and if you've been a very good girl or boy, pour some cream and honey over it... yum! The bread pudding my aunt usually makes is just a simple bread and butter pudding, but I found this delicious-looking recipe on Smitten Kitchen and thought some jazzing up was definitely in order, especially for the holiday season. If we can't spoil ourselves during Christmas break, when else are we supposed to? Am I right?

Though one would argue that I spoil myself on a daily basis.

Enough rambling, on to the recipe!

Raisin and Apple bread pudding
from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 pound white sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch cubes 
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 tbsp unsulfured molasses
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, spread the bread onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven until crisp. Then transfer to a large bowl and mix with the apple cubes and raisins
2. Grease the baking pan (I believe mine was 6x10) or ramekins
3. Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl using a handheld mixer until fluffy, then add the spices, vanilla and salt
4. In a saucepan, heat the milk and molasses until warm to the touch, then gradually beat the milk into the egg mixture 
5. Spread the bread mixture into the baking pan, and pour the custard over the bread. Use a spoon to nudge the bread about to make sure the custard gets soaked all the way to the bottom. Allow to stand for 5 minutes or so before scattering almonds over the top
6. Bake into the centre of the oven for 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Serve after cooling for at least 15 minutes, or reheat in the microwave before serving

Anyway, the pudding's all gone now and I'm back from my holiday. Went to visit Nini (that's my granny!) today and just chilled out with her while she talked politics and I read The Hunger Games (again). I'm now sort of craving some bread pudding again, though after my short trip to NZ, I have some recipes I'm DYING to try out. We'll see how the rest of the week goes, if I recover from my jet lag enough, I may just have some time to whip up one or two after work. 

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday, and to 2012, I have only this to say: Challenge accepted! 

x Nabs