Look in any old recipe book, from Yeovil to Yorkshire, and you will find a recipe for bread pudding.    However, I like our Yorkshire lass, ‘Mrs Simkins’ , take on this old favourite with her addition of rum to the fruit.  Mrs S. you are a cook after my own heart.

Here’s her recipe for ‘Wet Nellie’ as she calls it (a bit scouse that) – and I reckon it’s in the top drawer of bread puddings.   It makes a great big slab that can be eaten hot, cold, on the moors, in the bath, you name it.  It can be frozen too, so what are you waiting for?

Ingredients

• One litre (1.75 pints) milk
• 1 lb/2 0z (500 g) stale bread
• 1 lb/2 0z (500 g) mixed dried fruit
• Two tablespoons of rum (add a bit more if you like, I did)
• 4 oz (113 g) dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mixed spices for cake baking
• 4 oz (113 g) melted butter
• 1 medium or large size egg
• White sugar for sprinkling

Method

1. Tear up the bread into small pieces and tip the milk over it to soak in
2. Sprinkle the rum over the dried fruit and add to the bread and milk.  Leave this all to soak in for 3-4 hours
3. Stir in the sugar, spice, melted butter and egg.  Stir it all together; break down any large lumps of bread into small pieces
4. Line a greased roasting dish with greaseproof paper, pour in the mix. Sprinkle a tablespoon of white sugar over the top
5. Cook it in a moderate oven (gas mark 4/350 f/180 c) for around 45 minutes, or longer until it is set firm, and when a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Source:  Mrs Simkins (2018) Traditional Yorkshire Cooking with Mrs Simkins.  Dalesman/Country Publications, Skipton.