Bread And Butter Pudding W/clotted Cream & Apricot Compote

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 9 ounces dried apricots
• 1/2 vanilla pod
• 1/2 orange, zest of
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 5 thin slices white bread, cut on a diagonal
• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• cup sultana (golden raisins)
• 8 fluid ounces cream
• 8 fluid ounces milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 ounces or 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 7 fluid ounces clotted cream

Recipe

• 1 at least 2 hours ahead, make the compote of apricots: bring 9 fl.oz. (about 1 cup) water to the boil and pour over the apricots in a heat-proof bowl. leave to stand for about 30 minutes. add the remaining ingredients, pour into a pan and bring to the boil. simmer for about 10 minutes. leave to cool and remove the vanilla and cinnamon.
• 2 preheat the oven to 375°. butter the bread and remove the crusts. place one layer of bread on the base of a 10" × 6" × 2 1/2" rectangular earthenware dish and cover with a layer of sultanas. place the rest of the bread on top.
• 3 mix the cream, milk, eggs, and sugar, and pass through a sieve. slice the vanilla pod down the centre and scrape out the seeds. add to the custard mixture and pour over the bread. allow to soak for 5 minutes.
• 4 place the dish in a bain-marie and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes. remove and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
• 5 preheat a hot grill (broiler). dust the pudding with icing sugar and glaze under the grill until golden (if it starts to soufflé, remove from the grill and let it cool a little longer before repeating the glazing process).
• 6 spread the top with the apricot jam and serve cut into wedges, with a quenelle (three-sided oval) of clotted cream (mold it with 2 tablespoons) and the compote of apricots. spoon some english custard (crème anglaise) around the plate, if you like.