Baked Rhubarb (Bread) Pudding

This recipe began with one in the Mennonite Treasury of Recipes (p 117), evolving into a delicious dessert once I cut the liquids in half. If you have bread (a few days old), eggs, milk and sugar in the house you have all you need to make bread pudding. If you don't have rhubarb, try chopped apples, pears or raisins. This recipe serves 5 - 6

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bread cubes (2-3 days old) I use Texas style thick sliced 60% WW bread
• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped 
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cups milk (whole milk or part cream is good)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar for topping (optional)

Method:

1. Prepare a medium pie dish size pan by greasing with butter.
2. Wash, trim and chop rhubarb. Place in a bowl.
3. Trim a thin crust off white or part whole wheat bread, cube and add to rhubarb.
4. In a separate small bowl, beat eggs, add in the sugar, cinnamon, milk, vanilla and salt.
5. Pour over bread and fruit. Toss lightly to cover.
6. Allow to sit for about 1/2 hour for bread to absorb the liquids, tossing in-between. Preheat oven to 350 F.
7. Pour into prepared dish. Dot with butter. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 40 - 50 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar for final 5 - 10 minutes of baking.  Done when you can pull it apart with a fork and there is no liquid.
8. Allow to cool for about 30 - 60 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or room temperature with warm vanilla custard.

Simple Vanilla Custard: 

• 1 cup milk, divided
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract OR 1/4 tsp vanilla powder

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup milk to boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk sugar, flour, 1/4 cup milk, egg yolk and vanilla until blended. Whisk into milk in saucepan just as it comes to boil and continue stirring until it bubbles. Serve warm. Can be re-heated.