The quality of the bread is important. Choose top-of-the-range white bread.
If making this for the family, you can substitute orange juice for the liqueur.
I have used Cointreau but any orange-based liqueur would do.
If more convenient, assemble the pudding earlier in the day and chill in the fridge. When ready to cook, return to room temperature before commencing cooking.
As I was making this pudding shortly before the photographer arrived, it occurred to me that the ingredients for what is essentially a very simple pudding are unsophisticated and homely (except for the Cointreau, of course) - milk, butter, eggs, jam, sugar and bread.
The bread, preferably a day old, soaks up the flavourings like a sponge.
Don't think you will make it more delicious by substituting cream for the milk - it simply makes for a heavier pudding.
Cointreau and apricot bread-and-butter pudding
80g Central Otago dried apricots, sliced thinly
70g raisins
¼ cup Cointreau or orange juice
220g crustless bread (5-6 slices toast bread)
1 Tbsp butter, melted
60g sugar
1/3 cup apricot jam
4 large eggs, size 7
2 ½ cups standard milk
freshly grated nutmeg
Cointreau sauce
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp cornflour
¼ cup orange juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup water
3 Tbsp Cointreau
To make the pudding Butter the base and sides of a 7 to 8-cup capacity casserole or soufflé dish.
Combine the apricots and raisins in a small bowl. Pour the Cointreau over the dried fruit and leave to macerate, the longer the better.
Cut the bread into 2.5cm squares. Place the bread in the prepared casserole dish.
Beat together the butter, sugar, apricot jam and eggs until thick and creamy and the sugar dissolved.
Add the milk and stir well. Pour this over the bread, add the macerated dried fruits and stir gently to combine.
Grate nutmeg over the top of the pudding.
Place casserole dish in the centre of a deep oven-proof pan or roasting dish. Pour boiling water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the casserole dish.
Place the pan on the centre rack of the oven preheated to 170degC. Bake for 1hr 20min to 1hr 30min until the pudding is just set, lightly golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove pan carefully from oven and cool the pudding on a wire rack.
While the pudding is cooking, make the sauce.
Put sugar and cornflour in a small saucepan and mix thoroughly. Stir in orange juice, lemon juice and water. Gently bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3min.
Remove from the heat, stir in the Cointreau and transfer to a small jug.
Serve the pudding hot, warm or at room temperature with the Cointreau sauce and a jug of runny cream or thick Greek yoghurt.
I think this is at its best when just warm.
Serves 8-10
- Joan Bishop
