Elephant Pudding

Photo: flickr user Anosmia

Ingredients

3 cups Stale bread, crushed or ground, up to 5 cups

3 cups Warm milk

1 cup Fruit juice

teaspoon Salt

3 Eggs

cup Sugar, up to ½

Vanilla extract, or brandy, or both, to taste

teaspoon Nutmeg

teaspoon Cinnamon

Assorted fruits, see *

Orange marmalade, for frosting

Preparation

* Handful of raisins, diced apricots, crushed pineapple, even dried cranberries

Soak bread in milk and juice. Add remaining ingredients, except for marmalade, and let it soak for hours - overnight, if you want.

Pour pudding into a baking dish or large oven-proof mixing bowl (one that preferably looks like an elephant dropping). Set baking dish in pan of hot water. Place pan with baking dish and water in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Bake for one hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Be sure pudding is baked through. If crispy crust is desired, continue to bake, up to 1 hour more until top is crispy. Serve warm, or let cool, then spread marmalade over top.

If you soak your dried fruit in brandy before using, you'll have a tastier result!

Variation: For a different flavor, use dark or light rum, or both, in place of the vanilla.