Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

Have you ever made a dish that you just cannot wait until it’s finished cooking? You ate it hot - right out of the oven, ate it again once it’s cooled and go to bed anticipating the following day so that you can have more of it? Ok, I guess if I really think about it, many foods can fall into this category. At the moment, however, this Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding tops the list. The rum for this recipe is a Trinidadian rum (Angostura Premium 1919) given to me by my father during his visit last December. Since then, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to cook with it. Good thing rum does not spoil but only gets better with time. And it adds a distinctly exotic yet mellow flavor to bread pudding.

Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

Serves 6

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup dark rum

8 oz bread, cubed

1 cup milk

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Rum Sauce (see recipe below)

1. Pour the rum over the raisins and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve the liquid.

2. Whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, reserved rum, and nutmeg. Pour over the cubed bread and toss well. Transfer to a greased 8” baking dish and sprinkle the rum-soaked raisins on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Bake at 350 ^oF for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm drizzled with Rum Sauce (see recipe below.)

Rum Sauce

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup dark rum

1. Melt the butter and sugar over medium heat until smooth.

2. Whisk the cornstarch into the evaporated milk and pour into the sugar and butter mixture. Mix well and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. The sauce will continue to sticken slightly after cooking.