Bread Pudding -v- Bread & Butter Pudding

 There seems to be some confusion over what is meant by Bread Pudding/Bread and Butter Pudding, not only among my readers, it seems to be a pretty widespread thing.  They are actually two distinct and different things.  My Mum made both of these regularly when we kids lived at home, as did her mother before her.....probably because they were pretty cheap, easy and quick to make.

This is Bread Pudding, which I made yesterday morning, obviously minus the bit we've eaten:-

It's made by tearing bread up into pieces, putting it in a large bowl with dried fruit, sugar and mixed spice, pouring a mixture of milk, eggs and melted butter over and leaving it to soak for a couple of hours, then squidging it up with your (clean, obviously!) hands and putting in a lined tin and baking.  It sets firm and is eaten sliced in squares, usually cold although can be warm with custard, it's just like a fruit cake, albeit quite a different texture, being somewhat stodgy, certainly very filling.

Bread and Butter Pudding, on the other hand, is a dessert not a cake:-

(image taken off the internet)

This is made by buttering slices of bread (Mum often used to spread the buttered bread with marmalade) and layering them in a dish with dried fruit and sugar.  A jugful of milk with beaten eggs is poured over, some more sugar (Mum used demerara) sprinkled over the top and then baked.  It's served warm usually with pouring cream.  At home Mum used evaporated milk in place of cream.  The top is crunchy and golden, the underneath soft and luscious, it's delicious.  The egg custard is often flavoured with vanilla extract, Mum never bothered with that.  She did sometimes use some cream in the custard instead of all milk, if she had any.

I've only ever made it once - husband had never eaten B&B Pudding, it wasn't something his mother ever made.....he tried it and didn't like it at all, so I've never made it since.  It would be easy to make a smaller quantity, just one or two portions though, but I'm not really a pudding eater, I just have a piece of fruit after dinner if I want something sweet.

I do make Bread Pudding (the cake) reasonably often, it's one of husband's favourite cakes.