Barmbrack Bread & Butter Pudding

Serves 12 You will need: • 200g butter

• 6 large slices of barmbrack, or 12-18 small slices • Nutmeg, for grating

• 525ml cream

• 525ml full-fat milk

• 6 eggs

• 170g light brown sugar • 100ml dark rum

• Pouring cream, to serve 1 Use 150g of the butter to liberally spread over one side of each of the slices of barmbrack. Use the remaining 50g of butter to grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular ovenproof dish. Make a layer of brack slices in the dish, placing them butter-side up. Grate some nutmeg over this layer, then repeat this process, until you have three layers of brack in total. 2 In a saucepan, stir together the cream and the milk and bring them to a boiling point, stirring continuously. Remove the saucepan from the heat. 3 In a bowl, mix together the eggs and the light brown sugar, then gradually add the hot milk and cream mixture, followed by the dark rum. 4 Use a skewer to make some holes in the layers of brack, then — see introduction — slowly pour over the cream, milk, egg, sugar and rum mixture, and leave to soak into all the brack. Allow to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight — the barmbrack will absorb all the moisture and allow the fruit to swell. 5 When you’re ready to cook the pudding, preheat the oven to 160°C, 325°F, Gas 4. Put the ovenproof dish into a large roasting tray. Pour water into the roasting tray until it comes two-thirds of the way up the sides ovenproof dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Serve with pouring cream.