Virtual hug in the form of bread and butter pudding

When I heard about this enormous hug going round on the web, I knew I'd like to join in. I love the idea, and I hope all this love with help Barbara to rid herself of the cancer that has come back to her, as love is sometimes the best medicine.

For Thanksgiving, the request was that I make a traditional bread and butter pudding. This seems like the perfect comforting food for someone who is feeling a little under the weather. The way mine was it wasn't crispy and crunchy on the top, just soft and delicious. And so easy to make! I think I'd have preferred a crisper browner top. I added some sherry soaked cherries instead of the usual raisins that are added. This is also a very frugal dish for anyone who's feeling the pinch these days.

Delia was my guide for this, although she added a lot of citrus notes, which my friend despises, so it was just plain vanilla and nutmeg for us!

Thanks to bron and iva for a wonderful idea.

Bread and Butter Pudding adapted from Delia Smith

1/2 cup cherries or raisins
1/2 cup sherry
8 slices bread (crappy cheap stuff from a small loaf)
approx 2oz (50g) butter
10 fl oz (275 ml) milk
2 1/2 fl oz (60ml) double cream
2oz (50g) caster/superfine sugar
1 vanilla bean
3 eggs
freshly grated nutmeg

Soak the cherries overnight in the sherry.
Preheat the oven to 350f, gas mark 4, 180
Grease a 2 pt shallow dish, 8 x 12 inch would probably work.
Warm the milk and cream in a saucepan with the scraped vanilla bean and steep for a while, allowing to cool.
Butter the bread and cut each of the slices into quarters, leaving the crusts on. Arrange half of them in the dish, then sprinkle half of the cherries on, then another layer of bread and cherries.
Add the sugar to the milk and cream and whisk to dissolve, then whisk the eggs up. Combine the two, adding the nutmeg, then pour over the bread and cherries.
Sprinkle a little more nutmeg over the dish, and some sugar and a few dabs of butter, bake for about 30-40 mins.