Bread & Butter Pudding

Another one for DH this, with some variations as well.

Basic recipe

6 large but thin slices of buttered bread. It really must be butter for flavour
2 oz raisins or sultanas
2 eggs
1 oz sugar
1 pint of mixed double (heavy) cream and milk make it as creamy as you want
Grated nutmeg

Turn on the oven and heat to 170.Butter an oven proof dish, 6-7 inches in diameter and about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into triangles

Beat the eggs into the milk and cream mixture with the sugar and drop the triangles of bread in to briefly soak. Then place them in a buttered ovenproof dish in layers with the dried fruit sprinkled between the layers. (See the picture for one way of arranging). Gently pour over the layers the rest of the milk/cream and leave for 10 - 15 minutes. Sprinkle some nutmeg over the top and pop in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove and leave to stand for a short while before eating, or leave it to cool and eat it cold.

Variations

1. Chop up some ready to eat dried apricots or peaches and add them with the dried fruit.

2. Stew some apple and puree it and spread between the layers with the dried fruit

3. Use a spiced fruit bread instead of the plain bread

4. Add some powdered chocolate to the milk/cream mixture to make a chocolate version. Also add some choc chips instead of the fruit