Bread pudding – torta di pane
This year I’ve made only one simple resolution and that is to not waste food, which also means saving money that, in this period of economic crises, isn’t a bad idea at all. I don’t know about you but I waste way too much food. I tend to buy more than I need and then it goes bad in the fridge or expires in my kitchen cupboards. Most important of all though I will make better use of the leftovers and leftover ingredients using them to make other exquisite dishes. Italian cuisine is well known as the cucina povera for its simplicity and for not wasting but rather for utilizing everything in the kitchen as my grandparents used to do.
As you can see I’ve started my only new year’s resolution right away with this bread pudding recipe. Over the holidays I’ve accumulated this huge amount of old dry bread. I usually bring it to the ducks and geese living close to us, but seeing the quantity I have on hand I decided to use it in many tasty recipes and this bread pudding is one of them. My grandma used to prepare bread pudding and I have fond memories of it, but up until now I’ve never made it myself. I don’t have a precise recipe I just made it according to how I remembered my grandmother’s. I added the ingredients and spices my grandma used to use and figured out the quantities on my own. This recipe is very versatile and can be changed according to your own tastes, but this is how I remember bread pudding.
Ingredients:
8.5 oz./ g. 250 dry bread
2 cups + 2 Tbsp./ ml. 500 milk
2 large eggs
4 Tbsp. Muscovado sugar or a packed dark brown sugar of your choice
2 golden apples about 1.2 lbs/ g. 500
1/3 cup/ g. 50 raisins
a handful of walnuts, about 1.7 oz./ g. 50
1 tsp. cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
2 tsp. natural vanilla extract
unsalted butter for the top
Muscovado sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions:
1. Cut the bread in small cubes, pour lukewarm milk over it and combine well.
2. Add 4 Tablespoons of sugar.
3. Soak the raisins in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Dry them before adding them to the cake.
4. Cut the apples in small cubes then add them to the bread mixture together with the raisins and walnuts.
5. Flavor the mixture with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and mix it with a wooden spoon until well combined.
6. Lastly add the 2 beaten eggs and mix until well incorporated.
6. In a baking pan lay oven paper and make sure it also covers the sides. Pour the bread mixture and spread it with a spatula until even. The pan I used for this recipe was 11 x 14 inches.
8. Dot the top with small pieces of butter and sprinkle it with the Muscovado sugar.
9. Bake it in a preheated oven at 350°/180° for 45 minutes. Let it cool completely then serve.
