How do you make bread pudding?

The first time I made bread and butter pudding, I was about fourteen, and it was amazing. It's such a simple recipe!

I use about 50g of unsalted butter,

10-12 slices of white bread

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped - or vanilla essence, if you can't get the pod

175g sugar

3 tblspns of marmalade - any flavour you please

600mL of cream

And any other fruit/nut you please. I think sultanas are great. Or craisins.

Oh! And nutmeg. Nutmeg is amazing in BB pudding.

Step 1. Lightly butter a large baking dish (2 litres). Butter the slices bread, cut off the crusts, then cut each slice into 2 triangles. Arrange triangles in layers in the dish, then sprinkle the sultanas or whatever you chose, in between layers. Don't put any sultanas on the top layer, though! They'll burn! I learned that the hard way hahaha

Step 2. Whisk together the eggs + egg yolks + caster sugar. Put cream in a saucepan with the vanilla pod + the seeds (or about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence) and bring to scalding point. Pour that cream over the egg mixture and whisk it until it's all combined.

Step 3. Use a strainer and pour the mixture over the bread slices, making sure not to mess them up. Set pudding aside for about 30 minutes - it makes the pudding lighter, not all yuck.

Now preheat oven to 180*C - no idea what that is in Fahrenheit...

Step 4. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil, loosely, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the pudding uncovered for a further 15 minutes or until golden

Step 5. Microwave the marmalade for like 30 seconds. Then remove pudding from oven and pour marmalade over the top. Put it again in the oven for like 2-3 minutes, so it's more golden and then serve immediately. :D

Red Velvet Bread Pudding:

Red Velvet Cake:

2 cups sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces red food coloring

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vinegar

Bread Pudding Mix:

3 cups half-and-half

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Greased 9 by 13 by 2-inch sheet pan.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely. When the cake is cooled, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Place cubes onto 11 by 17-inch cookie sheet. Place in oven for 10 minutes.

Bread Pudding Mix:

Combine the half-and-half, eggs, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. With an electric hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the half-and-half mixture.

Place the red velvet cubes in a large baking dish or 8 individual ramekins. Add the pudding mixture to the dish. Make sure the cake cubes are completely covered. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pudding is set. Serve with ice cream

Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding

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Ingredients :

7 glazed chocolate donuts

10 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups half & half

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup raisins

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

Directions :

Slice the donuts across their equator and smear the interior with softened butter. Cut the dounts into half inch pieces and place in bowl. Cover the buttered donuts with half & half, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit

Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with butter. Beat the eggs with the sugar until light and fluffy. Scrap the egg/sugar mixture into the milk-soaked donuts and thoroughly combine. Fold in the raisins and the orange zest and season with nutmeg. Scrape the mixture into the buttered dish and bake 75 minutes or until puffed and golden.

I like to let the pudding come to room temperature and chill overnight, but you can serve it warm or at room temperature with or without additional cream (whipped or not) or ice cream or frozen yoghurt.

The site below has a good basic recipe. But there are so many possible, and delicious, variations. Use plain bread, or french bread, or raisin bread, or croissants, or panetone. Use raisins, or fruit cocktail, or no fruit at all. Serve as is or top with lemon sauce, or bourbon sauce, or rum sauce. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold. It's all good.