When there’s nothing in the house except stale bread and eggs

Lake Paijanne on Christmas Day 2011 – no ice, no snow!

Somedays, the cupboards and fridge in my kitchen simply have nothing to offer me.  Inevitably, it’s on the days I’d most like to throw a plate of leftovers into the microwave a day, that this occurs. On one such day, after sniffing into the paper bag containing 4-day old ciabatta (read: dry and hard) and examining the fridge to find only a few lonely eggs and a few drops of milk, I had an inspiration:  Bread pudding – of course!

Light show, Helsinki, New Year’s Eve 2011

It’s the easiest thing in the world, and my guess is that it would be excellent made with old pulla, in the case that this unlikely problem were ever to happen in my house – old, uneaten pulla, that is.  But in this case,    I added cinnamon and cardamom for a sort-of pulla twist, a few lingonberries for tart twist, heated the oven to 400°F, and tossed the ingredients together in a bowl; then the baking dish, and let it bake for 30 minutes.

Unfortunately we ate it so quickly, there are no pictures to share, but take my word for that this is well worth your time and may make you hide fresh bread until it turns stale just so that you have an excuse to make this.

Bread Pudding
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C


3 cups stale bread (firm white bread like ciabatta or pugliese or a mix of white & wheat works best – old & crunchy is good in this case)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup of berries: your choice (I used lingonberries for color and tartness)
1 – 2 Tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces

Swan Latte, Fratello Torrefazione

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom.  Add the bread crumbs and toss to coat.  Let mixture sit for a couple of minutes so the bread crumbs absorb the moisture, add the berries, and toss again.   Pour the mixture into a small baking dish and add little pieces of butter across the top.  Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the mixture turns golden brown on top and puffs up a little.

Serve warm, preferably with a cup of dark roast coffee.
Serves 2 (happily) or 4 (if you must share).

Cross country skiing in Jyväskylä, Jan 7th, 2011