Rum Raisin Rusk Pudding

This is a recipe for a sensational bread pudding I make with rusk toast, rum soaked raisins. The rusk gives you a creamy flan like consistency which I don’t always get with bread. The crackling sugar top that blisters to a deep brown when the baking is done is a lovely contrast to the pillowy pudding underneath punctuated by rum drenched raisins. One of the earliest bread pudding recipes was published in Eliza Smith’s The Compleat Housewife in 1727. Trends have come and gone, but B&B pudding has stayed the course. There are endless versions of this in different countries. The English Bread and Butter pudding, the Mexican Budin de Pain, German black bread pudding or pan de regla in the Philippines. Here’s the recipe Rum Raisin Rusk Bread Pudding Ingredients serves 8-10 400 gram unflavoured milk rusk toasts (fruit, cake, plain your choice) 8 eggs 1.25 liters plain full fat whole milk 200 ml cream 400 ml condensed milk 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg (optional) 8 tbsp melted butter 5 tbsp brown sugar 3 tablespoons 30 seedless golden raisin 1/4 cup dark rum or apple juice mixed with rum extract Method: Soak rum and raisins in a small bowl for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 325F and prepare the lower rung.Brush a 13 by 9 inch cake pan lightly with butter. Whisk eggs, milk, cream, condensed milk vanilla, 2 tbsp castor sugar, spice of your choice if using until well mixed. Lay half the rusks at the bottom of the baking dish. Brush all the rusks with all the butter on one side. Spoon half the rum and raisins over it. Pour half the custard over it. Layer the loaf pan with remaining rusk to create a second layer. Brush with remaining butter. Pour over remaining rum and raisins over making sure to spread as evenly as possible over the rusks. Now pour 1/2 the remaining custard over it. Let the mixture sit 5 minutes. Press rusks into the custard with a flat spatula. After 5 minutes pour remaining custard over it. Using a large spoon press the rusk down into the liquid. Let rest 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and almonds and bake 40 minutes. Then raise heat to 375 until top is golden brown. When you insert a knife in the pudding it should be wobbly but it should not ooze liquid. Let rest outside the oven for 10-15 minutes. Loosen the sides using a knife and turn onto a plate or just cut out slices from the pan itself. Turn again. Slice and serve as is or with caramel sauce and whipped cream. If you use a very sweet cake rusk reduce the amount of condensed milk #breadandbutter #raisin #breadpudding #rusk #rusktoast