Photo credit: Andrew Hayes-Watkins

Most countries have their version of bread and butter pudding because no one wants to waste leftover bread. This is the old favourite with a splash of Spanish sherry, a whiff of cinnamon and orange.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 100g raisins
  • 100ml sweet Spanish sherry
  • butter
  • 6 slices of brioche
  • zest of one orange
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 eggs
  • 50g soft light brown sugar
  • 350ml whole milk
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar

TO MAKE:

  1. Heat the raisins and sherry in a small saucepan until the sherry is almost at boiling point, then remove the pan from the heat and allow the raisins to cool.
  2. Strain the raisins, making sure you reserve any juices.
  3. Butter a 1.5 litre oven dish and the slices of brioche cutting each into triangles. Arrange a layer of the bread, butter-side up, in the oven dish.
  4. Sprinkle two-thirds of the raisins over the bread, then add most of the orange zest and cinnamon. Arrange the remaining bread slices over the top, butter-side up again.
  5. Gently beat the eggs with the sugar. Gradually stir in the milk and double cream, then add any reserved juices from the raisins.
  6. Strain the mixture into a jug, then pour it over the bread and raisins. Do this very slowly.
  7. Sprinkle over the remaining raisins.
  8. Combine the rest of the zest and cinnamon with the demerara sugar and sprinkle.
  9. Leave the pudding to stand for about 20 minutes to allow the custard to soak into the bread. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Bake the pudding for 35–40 minutes, until the top layer of bread is crisp and a rich caramelised brown in places.