Bread Pudding With a History

I know that many people believe that it’s hard to find time to cook. This bread pudding is inexpensive to make and simple to produce. Somehow I find the plain but good dishes from the past have much appeal.

Brown sugar pudding is an old American recipe that a beginning cook should be able to make with ease. Even seasoned cooks--who love the flavor of brown sugar--will like this rustic dish.

Don’t be alarmed when you remove the dish from the oven and notice that there is some melted brown sugar sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. When you serve the pudding, spoon some of the sauce on top of the pudding for a nice presentation.

Brown Sugar Pudding

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 55 minutes

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4 slices white bread

5 tablespoons butter

21/2 cups milk

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

11/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Half-and-half, optional

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Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square pan or baking dish.

Trim the crusts from the bread and discard. Butter each slice liberally on both sides. Set aside.

Place the milk in a saucepan and heat it until it is warm. Pour it into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, salt and vanilla. Using a rotary beater, whisk or fork, beat briskly until the mixture is all blended and one color.

Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the baking pan. Tear the slices of bread into small pieces and distribute over the sugar, then add the warmed milk mixture. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the top.

Bake the pudding until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, but start checking the pudding at 30 minutes. Cut the pudding into pieces and serve warm, with the liquid from the pan spooned over the top. Serve with half-and-half, if desired.

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6 servings. Each serving: 438 calories; 486 mg sodium; 143 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.37 gram fiber.