Bread and butter pudding (thanks Mum)

50g butter

Half a loaf of stale white bread

150g butter (or more)

100g dried fruit (mixed, currants, raisings, sultanas, whatever)

2 eggs

150g caster sugar

250ml double cream

250ml milk

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Pre-heat the oven to 160C

Butter the bottom and sides of a deep oven dish, about 20cm x 10cm. Slice the bread, and butter one side of each slice. Use up all the butter, and add more if you run out. Cut the slices into quarters, as triangles.

With the triangles pointy side up (so you’ll get nice crispy ‘peaks’), arrange them in the dish, starting at one end. Put a bit of dried fruit between each row. If the dish is a bit big, lean the triangles back a bit so the dish becomes full.

Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl, and add the cream, milk and nutmeg. Beat again. Pour the custard over the bread, scraping out any sugar left in the bowl. Leave the pudding to stand for 5 minutes, squishing it occasionally so the bread soaks up the custard.

Place the pudding, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with custard (see recipe).

For a seasonal Easter treat, replace the bread with 10 sliced hot cross buns, and use chopped dried apricots as the fruit.