I think every adult needs a couple of back pocket dessert recipes that can be made at a moment’s notice, should the day take such a turn where you find yourself thinking: only a generous bowl of dessert in front of a 70 minute episode of Bridgerton is going to redeem this day. One of these recipes is Nigella’s aptly named Emergency Brownies, and the second is this bread pudding that has the added advantage of needing to tear a loaf of bread, and if that’s not a stress buster, I don’t know what is. The recipe does ask you to wait for it to soak for 30 minutes, but this is strictly optional.

RECIPE: BREAD PUDDING

Slightly adapted from Olives + Thyme

Ingredients
2 cups bread, torn into 1-inch pieced
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon powder*
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder*
25 g melted butter
A handful of golden raisins

For the sauce:
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup sugar
25 g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

If you can, ground fresh, is best*

Method
For the pudding:

To a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients except the bread and mix to combine.

Next, add in the bread and give it a good mix. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with raisins.

Pour this into greased baking dish, and bake in a preheated oven at 350 C for 20 minutes, covered with foil. Remove the foil and allow to bake for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by adding the cream, sugar, and butter to a small saucepan. Turn on the heat, and as soon as it comes to a boil, remove from the flame. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Serve the bread pudding warm, drizzled with the sauce. Enjoy!