Anna Sultana's Apple Bread Pudding

About a year ago I posted Ma’s recipes for Bread Pudding, Maltese Style. 

Yes, two recipes.

Pudina tal-Ħobż is the Maltese take on bread pudding.

And, no, it is nothing like the North American bread pudding.

As with most Maltese recipes, there's more than one way to make Pudina.

One was Ma’s basic Pudina tal-Ħobż.

The other Pudina was a bit simpler.

Both are good, so try them both.

We had quite a bit of Pudina when Lily Tulip left College Point. 

Pop was out of work.

Every week he'd bring home a few bags of day-old bread.

Ma would turn them into Pudina tal-Ħobż. 

Well, we never went hungry.

One can get tired of the same thing, no matter how good.

Sometimes Ma made a bread pudding recipe she had found one day when she'd read The New York Daily News.

And she found that this recipe is good, too.
I hope you will agree.

                        Apple Bread Pudding

          

Butter a 9×13-inch deep baking dish, then set aside.

Preheat oven to 350º           

Bake 40 minutes  

Slice into 1-inch cubes 

1 pound bread (crusts removed optional)

Spread cubes on a baking sheet.

Toast in the oven for 6-7 minutes, until crisp.  Set aside.

Core

1 tart green apple, peeled

Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Place the toasted bread cubes in the prepared baking dish.

Add 

the apple cubes 

1 Cup raisins 

Mix together until evenly distributed.  Set aside.

Place in a small pot

1/2 Cup milk

1/2 Cup dark brown sugar

Simmer, stirring constantly, until the brown sugar melts.

Place in a medium bowl

4 large eggs

Beat in

3/4 Cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place in a large bowl

3 Cups milk

Add the warmed milk and stir until blended.

Stir the egg mixture into the milk/sugar mixture.

Pour the milk/sugar/egg mixture over the bread cubes.

Stir to evenly coat the bread cubes.

Let stand for 5 minutes. 

Sprinkle over the top

1/4 Cup sliced almonds

1/2 Cup dark brown sugar

Place the pan in the centre of the oven.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until puffed and set, with the top lightly browned.

Let the pudding cool for 15 minutes so that it will be a bit more solid.

But, of course, it will never be as solid as Ma's Pudina.