Fruit Bread Pudding - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tbsp brown sugar
2 None medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 None vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped out
4 thick slices fruit bread, quartered
4 None eggs
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
None None ice cream, to serve (optional)
None None ice-cream or cream, to serve

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F. Lightly grease a large baking dish. In a medium frying pan, combine brown sugar and 1 tbsp water. Gently heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add apple slices and simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 mins, until just tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, bring milk, cream, vanilla bean and scrapings to a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 mins. Discard vanilla bean. Arrange fruit bread and apples in alternate layers in prepared dish. Whisk together eggs, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually beat in warm cream mixture then strain over bread and apples.
Place baking dish in a large deep roasting pan. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 55-60 mins, until set and golden. Serve with ice cream, if desired.