Maltese Bread Pudding ( Using up Stale Bread)

This is a recipe to use up stale bread, originally devised when it was considered a sin to throw away breadbecause of teh association with Christ . The result is a luscious fudgy cake that can be cut up into squares and has nothing to do with thne usual bread and butter puddings . I love to eat this cake in summer , cold from the fridge. Please do try it, it wont cost you much to make. You might be pleasantly surprised. I use a maltese crusty loaf but any bread will do.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Yields: 20 squares

Ingredients

• 1  loaf  bread (a few days old)
• 50  g butter
• 125  g sugar
• 2 -3  eggs
• 1  apple, peeled and grated
• 5  tablespoons cocoa powder
• 200  g sultanas
• 200  g raisins
• 2  tablespoons  candied peel
• 2  teaspoons mixed spice
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  tablespoon  Scotch whisky (*optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon anise or 1⁄2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1  tablespoon  extra sugar

Directions

1. Soak the bread , in water foe about an hour until soft. ( cut loaf in half).
2. Pre heat oven to 200C and grease a rectangular baking dish measuring about 30cmx 20cm.
3. grab the loaf with your hand and squeeze out excess water. You can put the bread in a clean tea towel and squeeze.
4. Put the soggy bread in a processor with the other ingredients except the dried fruit and mix well.
5. Add the dried fruit and pulse until combined.
6. spread in the baking dish and flaten surface with a spatula.
7. Sprinkle the extra sugar and anise seeds on top.
8. Bake for about an hour, until it feels firm .
9. serve warm or at room temperature ( or in summer, cold from the from fridge, or at least thats the way I like it :-).