Delicious Irish Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
Welcome food enthusiasts! Do you want to try something new and delicious? Then I recommend Irish Bread and Butter Pudding. This traditional Irish dessert is a combination of sweet butter, bread, eggs, milk and cream baked together to form a heavenly comfort food.
This recipe has been passed down through generations and has stood the test of time. It is incredibly easy to make with ingredients that are readily available in your pantry. The texture of the pudding is the perfect balance of creamy and crunchy, and its flavor is a perfect blend of nutmeg, vanilla, and golden raisins.
As someone who loves experimenting with recipes, I can tell you this recipe will become an instant staple in your kitchen! The Irish Bread and Butter Pudding is versatile enough to be served as a delicacy on special occasions or as a comforting dessert after dinner.
So let me guide you through making the perfect Irish Bread and Butter Pudding that will leave your family and friends asking for more. Get ready to indulge in this traditional dish that will give you the taste of Ireland at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Attention all bread pudding lovers! Are you ready to indulge in a delicious, classic Irish dessert that will warm your soul and leave your taste buds begging for more? Look no further than this traditional Irish Bread and Butter Pudding recipe!
This delectable dessert is the perfect combination of fluffy white bread soaked in a creamy custard made with milk, heavy cream, and eggs, then topped off with sweet buttery goodness. The golden raisins, nutmeg, and vanilla extract add a comforting and warm flavor that will remind you of cozy evenings by the fire.
One of the best things about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can easily swap out the traditional white bread for brioche or even homemade bread, or add in some raisins, chocolate chips, or nuts to mix up the texture and flavor. Looking for something boozy? Try adding a splash of Irish whiskey into the mix for an extra special treat.
Not only is this bread pudding a delicious dessert option for any occasion – from holiday gatherings to cozy winter evenings at home – but it’s also budget-friendly since it uses simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Plus, it’s an easy-to-follow recipe with no fancy cooking skills required.
So what are you waiting for? Give this recipe a try and fall in love with the comforting nostalgia of traditional Irish bread pudding. Your taste buds will thank you!
Ingredient List
For this traditional Irish bread and butter pudding recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 12 slices of white bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup of sweet butter, softened and generously used for buttering the bottom and sides of an 8×8 inch baking dish
- 1/2 cup of golden raisins or chocolate chips (if you prefer), soaked in Irish whiskey or hot water
- 3 cups of milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
As for the soaking mixture for the raisins, you can use a ¼ cup of hot water with some Irish whiskey if you want to create an authentic taste with a twist. But if you’re not sure about adding alcohol, you can always use hot water instead.
When it comes to selecting bread for this pudding, it is best to use a traditional bread like brioche, homemade bread or a day-old white bread. The slices should be cut into ½ inch cubes, around 10 cups in total.
The Recipe How-To
Now, the moment we have been waiting for! Gather all the ingredients and let’s start baking our delicious Irish Bread and Butter Pudding.
Preparing the Ingredients
Before we begin assembling the pudding, we need to do some preparation first.
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Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
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Step 2: Grease your 8×8-inch (20x20cm) baking dish generously with butter on the bottom and sides. Set it aside.
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Step 3: Cut 12 slices of white bread into half, diagonally to create triangles.
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Step 4: Generously butter each slice of bread to give a crisp texture.
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Step 5: Spread generous amounts of golden raisins over six of the sliced breads.
Making the Custard
This recipe needs a creamy custard to get its signature texture. The following steps show how you can make it:
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Step 6: In a medium-sized saucepan, heat cream, milk, granulated sugar and vanilla extract over medium heat until simmering or until the sugar has dissolved completely.
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Step 7: In another bowl, whisk together the eggs until light yellow in color.
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Step 8: Pour the custard mixture over the eggs while continuously whisking.
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Step 9: Add in a pinch of ground nutmeg to enhance the flavors of our pudding.
Assembling the Pudding
Now that all our ingredients are ready, let us move on to assembling our Irish Bread and Butter Pudding:
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Step 10: Begin by arranging six slices of bread without raisins in your greased baking dish.
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Step 11: Add the six slices with golden raisins over them so that they create a triangle shape.
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Step 12: Place another layer of six slices of bread with no raisins on top of the first layer of bread.
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Step 13: Layer the six remaining sliced breads with raisins over them in a triangle shape.
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Step 14: Pour the custard mixture over the assembled bread triangles to soak in all the flavors.
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Step 15: Sprinkle nutmeg and ground cinnamon on top generously.
Baking the Irish Bread and Butter Pudding
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Step 16: Let this sit aside for a few minutes until the bread absorbs all the custard mixture.
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Step 17: Place the baking dish with all the ingredients into preheated (180°C) oven.
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Step 18: Bake this pudding for40 -50 minutes or until your pudding becomes golden brown on top and cooked throughout.
Great job! Our Irish Bread and Butter Pudding is now ready to be served!
Substitutions and Variations
Are you looking for ways to play with the traditional Irish Bread and Butter Pudding recipe? Don’t worry, I have you covered.
– Swap out raisins for chocolate chips or dried cranberries. A new hit of flavor can bring this pudding recipe from traditional to a contemporary touch.
– Try using brioche bread instead of traditional white bread for a richer texture and taste.
– Use caster sugar instead of white sugar if you want your dessert mix to feel lighter.
– Change up the recipe with caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, or Irish coffee toppings for a special treat. To make it classier, add a splash of whiskey to your whipped cream in the moment before serving.
– Add some flavorsome spices like ground ginger or cardamom to give an aromatic kick to the dish.
– Instead of heavy cream, you may opt for evaporated milk for a slightly lower-calorie version of the pudding. Do not worry about compromising on taste!
It is crucial that you know that substitutions will modify the taste and texture of this dish. Be cautious when making substitutions, and try not to switch too many ingredients at once. That said, don’t feel afraid to experiment when it comes down to it—it can be fun!
Serving and Pairing
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Now that you’ve made your delicious Irish Bread and Butter Pudding, it’s time to serve and pair it for the perfect experience. This hearty dessert is best served when warm, directly out of the oven, with a generous dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The cool cream delicately balances out the warm pudding while enhancing its flavors.
Pairing-wise, this recipe calls for a cup of Irish Whiskey in its ingredients list – which makes it a wonderful combo to traditional Irish coffee. The whiskey brings in a distinctive flavor profile to the creamy dessert and complements well with the bitterness of a strong coffee.
If you prefer non-alcoholic drinks, then you may try serving it with classic Black tea or even hot Chocolate – both go astonishingly well with the flavor of bread pudding. To match its classic British roots, consider serving it with high tea options like hot cross buns for a perfect afternoon tea set-up.
The versatility of this dish allows it to fit snugly into any meal. You might choose to serve it up after a hearty dinner or make it the star attraction of your afternoon tea spread – either way, it is sure to be an instant hit amongst your family and friends.
Make-Ahead, Storing and Reheating
Once you’ve enjoyed the delightful Irish Bread and Butter Pudding, you may wonder if there is a way to store or reheat the leftovers for later enjoyment. Fortunately, there is indeed a way!
One of the exciting aspects of Irish Bread and Butter Pudding is that it is best when it is just out of the oven. However, if you make this dish ahead of time, don’t worry, it will still taste great! This dish lends itself well to making ahead as you can prepare it all up to step 4, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and store in the fridge overnight.
For reheating, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove any wrapping from your bread pudding and place it in an ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil to prevent excessive browning and bake for about 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbling.
If you can’t eat the whole pan in one sitting, then you’re in luck because this pudding stores incredibly well after cooking. To store, cover the cooled bread pudding tightly with plastic wrap or an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. When reheating chilled pudding, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C), and bake covered for about 20 minutes until heated through.
An alternative way to store leftover Irish Bread and Butter Pudding is by freezing it. If freezing an entire dish at once, allow it to cool completely before transferring it into an airtight container or tightly wrapping it with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Be sure to label the container with the date and keep frozen for up to one month.
To reheat frozen slices of pudding or pieces of bread pudding, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and warm the bread quickly on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil for 10-15 minutes, until they’re hot or defrosted. Then remove the foil or parchment to prevent excessive browning and bake for another 5-10 minutes until warm and bubbling.
By following these tips, you can always have some classic Irish Bread and Butter Pudding available for whenever you want a little taste of homely comfort food!
Tips for Perfect Results
To create the perfect Irish bread and butter pudding, I have some tips for you. Follow these suggestions, and your dessert will come out as a delicious masterpiece.
Firstly, it’s essential to use the correct type of bread. Traditional Irish bread is typically used for this recipe. However, if you can’t find any, use a loaf of white bread instead. When cutting the bread, cut it into 1/2 inch slices and then cube them into 2-inch pieces. This way, each piece can soak up the custard mixture evenly.
Secondly, when whisking the custard mixture with eggs, sugar, milk, cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder together, don’t hurry; whisk is gently to avoid a frothy mixture. Pour this custard over the cubed bread and let it sit for at least ten minutes. The bread will absorb some of the mixtures in love with all its flavour.
Thirdly melted butter needs a specific process while making the unsalted butter could not make it fluffy on top after serving. The a knob or small lump of butter should be generously greased not only on the bottom but also on all sides of baking dishes before placing the soaked bread cubes upon them.
Fourthly golden raisins could enhance the fruity taste of your pudding like rum-infected raisins do but don’t use too many because it may overrun that delicious combination between egg custard and sweetened bread slices. A proportion of 1:3 raisins to bread ratio is perfect for getting only a little amount of filling on each inside.
Fifthly baking time importantly enough to bake until a knife inserted comes clean but still remain moist texture without being too burned around edges crusty chewy in every bite by reducing heat from last twenty minutes you can complete this balance.
Lastly Don’t be Afraid to serve this amazing pudding with other toppings like caramel sauce whipped cream of Irish cream frosting, whiskey-based pudding recipe ingredients, and Caster sugar as well Irish whiskey sauce to make it more traditional. These tips should lead to a successful Irish bread and butter pudding that will surely melt in your mouth!
FAQ
As with any recipe, there may be some questions that come up while making the Irish Bread and Butter Pudding. Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to help ensure that your pudding comes out perfectly every time.
What is Irish bread pudding made of?
For this recipe, you’ll need about 10 cups of French bread, diced into 1/2 inch cubes. You also have the option to add 1/2 cup of raisins, or if that’s not your thing, chocolate chips can be used instead. To achieve the perfect flavor and texture, we’ll be making our own Irish Whiskey Caramel Sauce using ingredients such as heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Along with evaporated milk and lightly beaten eggs, this recipe is sure to impress.
What country is bread and butter pudding from?
One of the classic desserts of British cuisine is bread and butter pudding. This dish involves layering slices of buttered bread and raisins in a baking dish, then topping it off with a spiced egg custard mixture before baking it in the oven.
Why is my bread and butter pudding watery?
When preparing a bread pudding, it is important to ensure that it is baked for the full duration specified in the recipe. Failing to do so may cause the pudding to remain unset and watery in texture, which is not ideal.
How do you make Jamie Oliver bread and butter pudding?
For this recipe, you will need 600 ml of semi-skimmed milk, 200 ml of double cream, and 400 ml of single cream. A vanilla pod is also required to give the dish extra flavor. We’ll also be using 4 medium free-range eggs, 170 g of caster sugar, and some hot cross buns. The hot cross buns should be sliced in half and spread with a generous knob of butter to add richness and texture to the pudding.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, the Irish Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe is a traditional dish that has been enjoyed by generations of Irish people. It is a dessert that is not only delicious but also easy to make using simple ingredients found in most households. This pudding recipe can be served as a warm dessert on a cold winter evening, or at a sweet brunch with family and friends. While it is traditionally made with white bread, feel free to experiment with variations like brioche or homemade bread.
Moreover, the recipe can be tweaked using substitutions like raisins and chocolate chips, or by adding Irish whiskey sauce for an extra kick. Additionally, it’s an ideal dessert to serve at Irish-themed events like St. Patrick’s Day, where it can be presented with pride as a cultural dish.
Finally, whether you choose to enjoy it with ice cream or caramel sauce, the Irish Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe is a delectable treat that deserves to be in everyone’s recipe arsenal! So why not impress your guests or your family with this mouth-watering pudding that will transport you right into the heart of Ireland?
Irish Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 slices dry white bread, crusts removed
- 1/4 cup sweet butter
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup golden raisin
- 4 large eggs, beaten lightly
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
Instructions
- 1 x 8 inch pottery or china dish.
- Butter the bread and arrange four slices, buttered side down ,in a single layer in the dish. Sprinkle the bread with nutmeg and half sultanas. Arrange another layer of bread, buttered side down, over the fruit, and sprinkle the remaining nutmeg and sultanas on top. Cover with the remaining bread, again buttered side down.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs, add cream , milk , vanilla , sugar . Pour the mixture over the bread through a fine sieve. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top and let it stand, covered loosely at room temperature for at least one hour, or chill overnight.
- Place in a bain-marie … the water should go halfway up the sides of the baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven ( 180c /350f/ gas 4) for about one hour until the top is crisp and golden. Serve warm with whipped cream.
Nutrition
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Brian is a British chef cum food blogger who has been in the kitchen since he was a young lad. Growing up in Manchester, he developed a passion for cooking and a keen eye for the perfect dish. He now runs his own blog and YouTube channel, which is dedicated to sharing his passion for food with the world.