Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding

I’ve always been a morning person. It’s not like I don’t love sleeping in or waking up slowly in my wonderful bed, but there’s something about getting up early, before everyone else, and having a head start on the day. It’s nice to start the day feeling like you have the advantage. I guess that’s what helped me enjoy my job as a baker years ago, when my shift allowed me to actually watch the sun come up a few hours after I started work. That, however, is taking “morning person” to an extreme.

These days, I get up early, have some coffee and check out what’s new in my garden before I start work. Spring is my favorite time of year, and spring mornings are very special indeed.

If you’re a morning person, here’s a great way to start a weekend day - Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding. It’s delicious, easy to make and screams “Good Morning”. The good news is that if you’re not a morning person, you can prepare the bread pudding at night and just pop it into the oven in the morning. Still too early for you? Don’t fret - it actually makes a tasty dessert too!

Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream (plus more for serving if desired)
• ¾ cup granulated or brown sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split open OR 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 1 (20 ounce) loaf Italian bread, or 16 slices Texas toast, stale or oven dried for 5 minutes
• 4 ounces butter, softened
• 1 (13 ounce) jar orange marmalade
• ½ cup raisins

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F and grease the 9” x 13” Blue Jean Chef ceramic baker with butter.
2. Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon and nutmeg in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl. Temper the eggs into the milk mixture (add a little milk to the eggs, beat, and then add the eggs back into the milk mixture).
4. Butter each slice of stale bread and then generously spread marmalade on top. Cut the slices into triangles. Place one layer of overlapping triangles into the baker. Scatter the raisins on top and then pour in some of the milk mixture. Add another layer of bread and the remaining milk mixture. Press down on the bread slices to help the bread absorb the custard and let the pudding sit until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Transfer the baker to the oven and bake, uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the custard has set and the edges of the bread are starting to brown. Serve warm with a little heavy cream poured over top.