Wednesday, 24 May 2006

Helen Mirren's Bread and Butter Pudding

Calender Girl Helen's recipe for an old favourite

Serves 4

6-8 thick slices brown or white bread
Raisins and/or sultanas
275ml/½pt full milk
150ml/¼pt single cream
3 eggs (medium or large)
175g/3oz caster sugar
Unsalted butter

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2 Butter the slices of bread, cut into quarters and arrange in layers in a buttered ovenproof dish, sprinkling each layer with the raisins and/or sultanas.
3 Heat the milk and cream together in a small non-stick pan. In a separate bowl, break the eggs and beat, then gradually add the sugar. When the milk and cream reaches the boil, remove from the heat and pour over the eggs/sugar mixture, beating constantly.
4 Pour the mixture through a sieve on to the layers of bread. Place the ovenproof dish in a baking tray half-filled with water and bake for 40 mins.

Helen's tip: 'If you leave the dish to stand for about 30 minutes after baking, it's a perfect "warm" temperature to be served at. Delicious with vanilla ice cream.'

Recipe courtesy of The Brooke, the UK's largest overseas equine welfare charity, which works to relieve the suffering of half a million horses, donkeys and mules in some of the world's poorest communities. For more information about The Brooke's annual Courses for Horses campaign, visit www.thebrooke.org.