Two-in-one recipe for bread pudding and rice pudding

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC and spray an ovenproof pudding dish with non-stick spray, or butter lightly.
Arrange the bread slices in the dish and dot with apricot jam.
Heat the milk, sugar and cinnamon together, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Cool slightly and beat a little of the milk mixture into the eggs.
Add to the remaining milk mixture, beat well and pour over the bread.
Leave for 5 minutes to soak into the bread before baking for about 40-50 minutes until cooked and set. Cool and serve warm with custard.

VARIATION 1
Prepare the basic recipe as described, but separate the eggs and beat only the egg yolks into the milk.
Bake the pudding for 30 minutes at 180 ºC and then reduce the temperature to 160 ºC.
Beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually beat in 50 ml castor sugar, beating until soft peaks are formed.
Spoon on top of the pudding and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the meringue turns pale brown.

VARIATION 2:
Prepare the basic bread pudding as described, but add 250 ml soaked dried apricots to the bread mixture.
Increase the sugar for the milk mixture to 150 ml and add 2 ml ground cloves and 5 ml vanilla essence.
Beat into the eggs and prepare as described for the basic recipe.

Want to try the bread pudding with apples and raisins?

RICE PUDDING:
Use 750 ml cooked rice instead of the bread and prepare as described for the basic bread pudding.