Irish cream bread and butter pudding

Featured recipe from

Karen Robinson

Karen qualified as a dietitian in 1997. Despite being newly qualified, she gained neuro experience and quickly became responsible for the Neurology ward, Neuro-Rehab Centre and part of the MND team, at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield.

Experience in intensive care and palliative care roles followed, but in 2000 Karen joined the Rehabilitation Medicine Service, covering North and North East Lincolnshire. This community based, but consultant led, multi-disciplinary team, specialises in neurological diseases and motor neurone disease.

Karen is now a member of the Neuro-sciences group committee, a specialist group of the British Dietetic Association, and works as a freelance dietitian.

In her spare time, Karen holds a rally driving licence and has won several national awards for co-driving. She also loves to travel and scuba-dive, and recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free standing mountain in the world, raising just under £4000 for the MND Association.

“I love eating and am very enthusiastic about it! I like to pass on ideas and practical tips to help people broaden their tastes and try new things, and am passionate that food should be enjoyed. This is doubly important when every mouthful counts and extra effort is needed to eat.

I try to show people that having a swallowing difficulty does not mean you cannot still eat well and love your food – it just means being creative and having fun trying new approaches.”

Karen Robinson, dietitian

Back

“This bread and butter pudding recipe is one of my favourites – I must admit to having a sweet tooth. It includes a tipple to help stimulate the appetite, as if that were needed with such a lovely pud!

The dish doesn’t usually need any tinkering with to make it a suitable consistency, as it slides down with ease, tastes great and is easy to make.”

Karen Robinson, dietitian

Preparation time:15 minutes

Serves:4

Cooking time:40 minutes

Ingredients
- 75ml Irish cream made up to 425ml with milk
- Dash of vanilla essence
- 3 eggs
- 75g sugar
- 6 slices of thick bread, buttered
- 25g dark chocolate chips
- Nutmeg to taste

Method
1. Preheat oven (180° C, 160° C fan oven, gas mark 4).
2. Heat the milk, Irish cream and vanilla essence until almost boiling. For an extra rich version, you can substitute some of the milk for cream, but be careful not to overheat.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then mix in the sugar (amount can be reduced if required). Pour in the hot milk mixture and stir well.
4. Arrange half the bread (crusts can be removed if required) in a greased, oven-proof dish and sprinkle with the chocolate chips.
5. Pour up to half of the milk mixture over the bread.
6. Layer the remaining bread and pour over the remaining milk mixture. Ensure all the bread is well soaked, as this will ensure it remains soft and moist when cooked.
7. Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake for 35-40 mins, or until set (test by inserting a knife – it should come out clean if set).
8. Best served whilst hot and with ice-cream or custard.