Hearty and homey bread and butter pudding is the ultimate winter comfort food.

There’s just something about this distinctly South African dessert that takes you back to your childhood or perhaps your grandmother’s kitchen.

Soft buttery goodness, served with golden syrup and a fresh dollop of cream, all wrapped in a blanket of nostalgia – we can’t think of a better winter time treat.

Follow this recipe for bread and butter pudding that’s simple to make yet tastes just as decadent as what remember.

INGREDIENTS

10 slices white bread
2 tots butter
2 tots apricot jam
1 tin apples
½ cup desiccated coconut (optional)
1 tin (385 g) condensed milk
Emptied condensed milk tin of water
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ tot ground cinnamon

METHOD

Lubricate the inner surface of a number large flat-bottomed pot with butter.

Add the tin of condensed milk to the pot, then fill the empty tin with water. Mix until smooth. Add milk, eggs and vanilla essence. Mix well.

Spread butter and apricot jam on one side of all the bread slices. Then cut the slices of bread into smaller pieces, blocks or triangles.

Next, press the pieces of bread, as well as the apples, into the liquid in the pot.

Now it’s time for the coconut and a few bonus spoons of apricot jam on top of everything.

Add a bit more water or milk if pudding looks too dry.

Dust the top of the pudding with ground cinnamon and let it sit for a few minutes.

Put the lid on the pot and bake in the oven for between 30 – 60 minutes. Keep checking to see whether the pudding is done. It’s ready when it has a golden-brown colour on top. The final test is to insert a knife into the pudding – when the knife comes out fairly clean, you are good to go.

Serve with cream, ice cream, custard or a combination of the two.

SERVES 8