“My mum used to make this when we were little, and it has incredibly strong food memories for me. It’s a great way to use up stale bread. It’s cheap to make as most of us have a half-used jar of jam open, don’t we? And meringue isn’t too difficult to make. The hint of lemon works great with this.”
Makes one pudding
INGREDIENTS
Half a loaf of good bread, and/or cake crumbs, 200g in total
Zest of one lemon
A pinch of nutmeg
220g caster sugar
A knob of butter
4 eggs, separated
2 large tablespoons of any jam you like, I like bramble but raspberry is good
350ml milk
350ml double cream
METHOD
Firstly, mix the cake and bread crumbs into the milk and cream then add the nutmeg, lemon peel and half the sugar. Give it a good mix then add the egg yolks and mix again. Place into a butter-lined ovenproof dish.
Next, dot wee knobs of butter over the top of the mix. Place the dish in a roasting tin half-filled with hot water and bake at 180°C for 40 to 45 minutes, until just firm to the touch. The deeper the dish, the longer it will take.
Allow to cool slightly then whisk the egg whites until stiff then add gradually add the remaining sugar, a little at a time to make a meringue. Pipe or spoon the meringue in small circles around the edge of the bread pudding (to resemble a crown) and glaze under the grill.
Melt the jam in a pot on the stove and spoon into the centre of the crown of meringue. Serve warm.