Irish favorite, bread, slathered in soft butter,soaked in custard, browns nicely, a sweet spongy dish.
Toffee Sauce turns it into an adults-only treat. Baking Tips: Use large, plump Medjool dates. Can
do day ahead; re-heat 350 deg 8 to 10 min (hot in center).
INGREDIENTS: 4 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter, 10 slices good-quality decrusted white bread, cup chp pitted dates, 1 1/2 cups cream 2/3 cup milk 3 eggs 1/3 cup plus 2 tb superfine sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla tb light brown sugar Brandied Toffee Sauce ing: 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter 8 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) light brown sugar (or half brown and half superfine sugar) 1 cup cream 1/4 cup brandy 1/4 cup sweet sherry
METHOD Butter bread, leaving 4 slices whole and cutting the remaining 6 slices in half to make triangles. Grease the sides and base of an 8-inch square baking dish. Place the 4 whole slices of bread buttered side up on the base of the ovenproof dish, then sprinkle the chopped dates over the top. Arrange the triangles of bread buttered side up on top to cover the dates.
Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan almost to the boil. While it heats up, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl, then pour the very hot milk and cream on top, whisking as you pour. Pour this custard over the bread, and allow to soak for 20 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar over bread.
Place baker in a large roasting pan and carefully pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Bake 350 deg 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden and the center just set.
Serve with Brandied Toffee Sauce, softly whipped cream.
SAUCE: Place the Kerrygold Butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool for 1 minute, then add the brandy and sherry. Makes 1 3/4 cups.