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Saturday 8 February 2014

Comfort food

It's wet windy and miserable out there today - and has been for far far too long! So after dragging myself to the gym with a friend this morning, I decided I deserved some proper comfort food - and making it would take my mind off wanting to snack post gym :)

I suspect my cravings came from the fact that while I was slogging away on the treadmill that I saw there was vintage Great British Bake Off showing on BBC2 - which I'd been watching at home before my friend picked me up - so was good to see the end! Before you suggest otherwise - I think it's actually incredibly motivational to watch, I just love what they create, and even if I can't hear everything going on, I've seen it enough times to know the format :)

Anyway.....comfort food! I was having a think about what I really fancied, and to be honest, (I've not documented this in my blog as it was such a disaster) I made some fresh bread on Thursday - and when I cut into it I was so disappointed to find it was doughy in the middle. I don't know why, I kneaded and kneaded it, and left it to rise far more than it needed (may be this is where I went wrong??) Anyway I had a bit of it to eat, but didn't really feel happy using it for sarnies etc. on the other-hand, it was was a 2lb loaf and I didn't want to waste it :( So I thought it should be OK to use for bread and butter pudding? It's being baked again....so hopefully help with any doughy bits in there? Hopefully? I probably should have researched that....but we all have to learn somehow!

So I had a vague recipe in a Mary Berry book, but as it's only me I didn't really want to make a dish for 6 people, so I just found the smallest dish I have filled it with my slightly doughy bread smothered in baking margarine - spread side down(all good ingredients while you're still stood in your gym clothes!) Then sprinkled some demerera sugar and mixed fruit on top. Covered again with more bread (this time butter side up) and then sprinkled some more demerera sugar and mixed fruit on top. I mixed 1/2 pint of milk with an egg and eat them together, and added some vanilla (after a manic search thinking I'd run out) and some mixed spices. I had an urge from somewhere to add nutmeg, not sure where that one came from, but I couldn't find any so mixed spices would have to do. Poured the custard mix over the bread and left to soak for an hour.

During this hour you'll be pleased to know that I did jump in the shower and get changed out of my gym clothes - phew - and then roasted some peppers and onions ready for my vegetable plait ) we've covered that one before, but I do like to revisit favourites!

Thank goodness for double ovens though, as the plait was ready to be cooked at the same time as the pudding. So pudding in the bottom, gas mark 4 for 40 mins, and plait in the top oven 20 mins at gas mark 6 then gas mark 2 for the last 10 mins. So a bit of juggling did happen, but overall it's tuned out well. Sadly the pudding had to be eaten as soon as it was baked, so I did :D Don't worry, I did have something else to nibble on while I was waiting for it to all finish, I had a pitta bread with some caramelised red onion cheese - so so nice! (and there's me saying I never normally have bread!)

So here's the before and after shots. I could probably have left it to crisp for a it longer, and probably should have served it with custard too - may be I can have my cold portion with custard another day - after another 5k run on the treadmill though?? :/



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