WINTER APPLE, BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

SERVES 6-8

This fabulous dish is a far cry from the stodgy, dry, sickly sweet puddings I was offered up as a child. Frills of apple, plump raisins and the crusty tops of gently toasted ciabatta give way to a soft, pillowy interior. Serve with a mound of softly whipped cream, already starting to melt and trickle over the crisp surface.

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp butter, for greasing

2 cups cream

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

¼ cup caster sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

10-12 slices ciabatta, cut 2cm thick

4 large apples, cored and sliced 3mm thick 30g raisins or sultanas

4 Tbsp raw sugar

1 Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake. Grease a 26cm rectangular (or slightly smaller square) casserole dish with butter.

2 In a bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, egg yolk, sugar and cinnamon. Dip slices of ciabatta into egg mixture then layer them, vertically, into dish, starting from one end. Alternate each layer of bread with a layer of apple. Continue until dish is full.

3 Pour any remaining egg mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle with raisins and raw sugar.

4 Bake in oven for around 40 minutes until lightly golden and the centre is set. The pudding will pull away from the sides slightly when it is ready. Cool for around 10 minutes then serve warm with softly whipped cream.