Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School, by Darina Allen.

　　My brother, Rory O'Connell, introduced me to this fantastic combination, which then fired my imagination, and many experiments have followed. We have been having fun ringing the changes with this recipe. Bread and Butter Pudding is also delicious with apple and cinnamon or even mixed spices. I can't wait to try gooseberry and elderflower as soon as they come back into season. Don't cut down on the cream in this recipe and don't use too much bread.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 to 8 servings

　　1 pound red rhubarb

　　Sugar

　　4 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted

　　12 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed

　　2 cups cream

　　1 cup milk

　　4 extra large free-range eggs, beaten lightly

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

　　1 tablespoon extra sugar, for sprinkling on top of pudding

　　

DECORATION

Softly whipped cream

　　

YOU WILL NEED

A deep 8-inch square or round baking dish

　　A water bath or roasting pan

　　

Step 1

Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Put into a dish and sprinkle with sugar. Let macerate for an hour.

　　

Step 2

Butter the bread. Arrange four slices, buttered-side down, in one layer in the buttered baking dish. Scatter half the rhubarb over the bread, and cover with another layer of bread, buttered-side down. Scatter the remaining rhubarb on top and cover with the remaining bread, buttered-side down.

　　

Step 3

Whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and sugar in a bowl. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer over the bread. Sprinkle the extra spoonful of sugar over the top. Let the mixture stand, covered loosely, for at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 5

Bake in a water bath — the water should be boiling and should come halfway up the sides of the baking dish — in the middle of the preheated oven, for about 1 hour or until the top is crisp and golden. Server the pudding warm, with some softly whipped cream.

　　A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School