L'heure du the: Apple Bread Pudding

The Pink Whisk http://www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk/ is holding a challenge this month for a recipe to include apples - preferably Pink Lady apples but can also be any apples you like. I had a couple of apples left from the tree in the garden but thought they might be a bit sour so I decided to use Pink Lady. Had a bit of a think about which recipe I could include, which was a little difficult because my Apple Cake has already been featured in this blog, hmmm, what to make? I decided it was time to get out the books and have a look and I found the perfect answer in Ursula Ferrigno's book La Dolce Vita - there it was, already bookmarked to be made at some stage - Apple Bread Pudding.

Ingredients:

175g (6 oz) caster sugar
85g (3 oz) raisins
2-3 thsp brandy (I substituted Muscat Wine because I don't like brandy)
12 slices day-old bread or cake
350 ml (12 fl oz) milk
5 apples
3 eggs
pinch of salt
85g (3 oz) unsalted butter

I began by dissolving 85g of the sugar in 125ml water and heated gently until it was all dissolved, then brought it to a boil and kept it boiling until it changed colour to caramel. Took it off the heat and immediately poured it into my cake tin - 23cm (9in) ring mould.

Then I put the raisins in a bowl and poured over the Muscat Wine and left it to soak for a while - approximately half an hour.

Next I broke up the bread (I used ordinary white bread from the supermarket) into a bowl and poured over the milk, found I needed a little more milk than suggested above in order to cover all the bread, which soaked it all up. I left that to soak for about half an hour also.

Then I peeled and sliced the apples thinly.

Next I turned on the oven to 180C (350F/gas mark 4).

I whisked together the sugar, eggs, salt and butter until well mixed, added the raisins with the wine, the apple slices and finally the bread and mixed it thoroughly by hand!

I then poured the mixture into the cake tin, spread evenly.

I then placed the cake tin into a large roasting tin and filled it with boiling water until it came half way up the side of the cake tin. Placed it in the oven for 45 minutes until it was done.

When it had cooled sufficiently I turned it out onto a large plate.

It was best served warm, but cold was okay too!