Windrush-style jamaican bread and butter pudding

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4, and butter a large ovenproof serving dish.

2. For the breadcrumbs: chop the slices of bread into crumbs using a food processor. Tip the crumbs into a bowl and stir in the sugar, dessicated coconut, butter and cinnamon. Leave the mixture on one side.

2. For the pudding: first make a custard. Whisk the eggs with the milk, evaporated milk, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spice in a pan over a low heat. Warm the mixture gently, whisking constantly until it has slightly thickened – but don’t let it boil or it will curdle. Add the cream and continue whisking until it is thick enough for a wooden spoon to leave a trail when you draw it through the custard. Add the white and dark rums and cook for another minute before removing the pan from the heat.

3. Cut the bread slices in half or quarter, removing the crusts if you prefer, and then butter the pieces generously. Place a layer of buttered bread in the prepared baking dish and cover with some of the soaked raisins, a little of the custard and a sprinkling of coconut breadcrumbs. Then cover that with a little of the custard, a layer of raisins and another layer of buttered bread; press the bread down a little. On the final layer, add the remaining raisins and cover the pudding with custard to ensure that the bread is well soaked. Cover generously with the remaining breadcrumbs.

4. Bake for 30 minutes until firm to the touch. Remove the pudding from the oven and drizzle with condensed milk, then return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes until it has risen and is cooked through.