The Comfort Of Bread Pudding

There is no name attached to this note, but the writing tells me that this came from my sister, Nancy.
Nan has done her share of cooking and entertaining over the years, and learned the basics in the Atkin house, under the guidance of Mother, and our uncle John Hand.

A cold, wet, and dark day outside calls for a warm, comforting dessert on the inside. A good bread pudding can brings ohhs!! and ahhhs to the dinner table.
The ingredients are simple, and who does not have stale bread that needs to be used up. (although I have to admit that I feed ours to the Ravens, but that is a different story)

Bread Pudding

2 cups milk
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup soft bread crumbs or stale bread
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup jam, jelly, or marmalade

2 tbsp icing sugar

Scald milk and butter, soak bread in milk mixture
5-10 minutes.  Add sugar, salt, beaten egg yolks, vanilla.Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish, set in a pan of hot water.  Bake in 375 F oven 1 hour or when knife inserted comes out clean.
Spread cooked pudding with jam, jelly or marmalade.  Make a meringue - beat eggs whites until foamy, add icing sugar, beat until stiff. Cover jam layer with meringue - return to oven until brown.

It has been less than a perfect day here weather wise...  I have just decided what we are having for supper.