Bread Machine - More Than Just Bread

I made white bread again on Monday. I was gone all morning and early afternoon, so by the time I got home, it was close to dinnertime. My mom wanted bread, but there was no way it would be done in time for dinner. She said that was fine. We could eat it after dinner. Well, that was a bad idea because my dad made his Italian potato salad (made with oil and vinegar rather than mayonnaise - amazing!),so we all filled up on that. The loaf of bread was only half-eaten. Since fresh bread goes stale the next day, I decided to try something on my list: #53 bread pudding.

The first time I had bread pudding was in Ireland. About once a month, I stayed over my friend's house in Dublin. Her and her family were amazing to me. When her mom found out I never had bread pudding, she made some for me. It was the only the best bread pudding I've had. Now, this bread pudding probably doesn't compare to hers since this is my first time, but it was still delicious. I was a little skeptical to pair it with the lemon sauce the recipe called for, but surprisingly, they went well together. The lemon sauce made a lot, so below is the adjusted version (which still makes a lot). You can serve the leftover sauce on ice cream or cake. Maybe even pancakes or waffles.

Classic Raisin Bread Pudding



4 cups firm white bread, cubed
1 cup raisins
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Lemon Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch or 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a one-quart baking dish. Combine bread and raisins; place in baking dish.

2. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until butter has melted (do not boil). In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour over bread mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

3. For sauce: combine sugar and cornstarch/flour in saucepan. Stir in water, zest, and juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until combined. Serve immediately on top of bread pudding.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Source: Gooseberry Patch Family Favorite Recipes with Sun-Maid Raisins and Dried Fruit, 2005 p.24

You can get a free copy of the Gooseberry Patch book from the Sun Maid website.