Bread and Milk Pudding With a Taste of the Middle East

I concocted this with the Um Ali pudding I'd eaten in Egypt in mind - I had half a loaf of day old Turkish bread (known as Tennis Racket Bread in our house - it is oval and quilted and about the size of the head of a tennis racket). It also is like a cross between England's Bread and Butter Pudding and Bread Pudding (two similar sounding but rather different national treasures). I used nuts and fruit I had in the cupboard pretty much by the handful - I'm guessing at 1/4 to 1/2 cup most times.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 loaf  day old  bread (about 250g)
• 1⁄4 cup walnut pieces
• 1⁄4 cup  sliced almonds
• 1⁄4 cup  dried apricot, diced small
• 1⁄4 cup pistachios
• 1⁄4 cup sultana
• 1  pint milk
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg
• 2  eggs, beaten
• 1  teaspoon butter, to grease dish
• 2  tablespoons sugar, to sprinkle over

Directions

1. Cube the bread - about 1cm or 1/2 inch - no need to remove crust.
2. In large bowl stir bread together with nuts and fruit then tip into greased ovenproof dish (mine was about 7"x11"x2").
3. Heat the milk, stir in sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and eggs.
4. Pour milk mixture over bread mixture and press down the bread so all gets moist.
5. Sprinkle sugar over the top.
6. Cook in moderate/hot oven for 20-30 minutes (until knife blade comes out clean).
7. Flash under hot grill to caramelise the sugar if you wish.
8. Serve warm with pouring cream.