Use your loaf
Easy Eggy Bread
Perfect for an after school snack or for a tasty weekend brunch, these hot
sandwiches will go down a storm with the whole family.
Serves four
- 8 slices medium thick white bread
- butter to spread
- 2 tbsp tomato chutney (optional)
- 1 (175g) pack wafer thin sliced ham
- 100g/4oz cheddar cheese sliced
- 3 medium eggs beaten
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
Spread the bread with butter and top four slices of bread with tomato chutney,
ham and cheese. Sandwich together with the other slices of bread.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper and pour into a large shallow
dish. Dip the sandwiches one at a time in the egg, turning them until well coated
with egg.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the sandwiches two at a time
and cook for 2-3mins each side until the egg is golden brown.
Serve hot.
Choco-fruit treats
These sticky chocolate bars are perfect for packing into lunchboxes. They're
packed full of healthy dried fruit and bread, low in added sugar and compared to
some biscuits and cakes low in fat too. What's more they keep well – upto 5 days
in an airtight container – that's if they last that long!
Makes 14 bars
- 225g/8oz wholemeal bread crusts removed
- 300ml/1/2pt milk
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 100g/4oz no soak dried apricots
- 100g/4oz raisins
- 100ml/4floz orange juice
- 100g/4oz dark soft brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 75g/3oz white chocolate, chopped
Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Lightly oil a
26x16.5cm/10x6.5in oblong cake tin and line with baking parchment.
Break the bread into pieces and place in a large bowl. Warm the milk and cocoa
together; pour over the bread and leave to soak for 10 mins. Use a fork to mash
the bread until smooth. Place the apricots, raisins and orange juice in a small
pan, bring to the boil. Remove from heat and cool. Beat the sugar and eggs
together. Stir the egg mixture into the bread, along with the fruits and two thirds
of the chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and scatter over the
remaining chocolate.
Bake for 30mins or until firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin.
Luxury bread and butter pudding
Serves six to eight
- 50g/2oz raisins
- zest and juice 1 orange
- 6 medium slices white bread, crusts removed
- 40g/11/2oz softened butter
- 300ml/1/2pt milk300ml/1/2pt double cream
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 6 tbsp caster sugar
Mix the raisins, zest and juice together and leave to soak for 10 mins. Preheat
the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
Spread the bread with the butter and cut each slice in half diagonally. Beat
the milk, cream, eggs, vanilla and 4 tbsp sugar together.
Lay 4 slices of bread over the base of a 900ml/2pt shallow ovenproof dish.
Arrange the remaining slices of bread on top, overlapping them slightly. Scatter
over the raisins, zest and juice. Pour over the cream mixture and leave to soak
for
15 mins.
Scatter over the remaining caster sugar. Place the dish in a large roasting tin
and pour boiling water from the kettle to come half way up the outside of the
dish. Bake for 35-40mins or until the custard has set in the middle and top is
golden brown. Serve hot or warm.
Banoffee royale
A twist on a real classic British pudding – layers of custard topped with
bananas and toffee sauce and a crisp layer of meringue – who could resist? Jars of
toffee spread are sold in most supermarkets with the jams, but if you prefer use
chocolate spread instead.
Serves six
- 4 large eggs
- 300ml/1/2pt milk
- 1 (14oz) can condensed milk
- 75g/3oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp toffee spread
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 75g/3oz caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/Gas Mark 3. Butter a six 175ml/6floz ramekin
dishes. Heat the milks together in a small pan until almost boiling. Stir in
the
breadcrumbs and mix well. Beat the three egg yolks together with one whole
egg,
add the milk mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared
dishes and
bake for 25-30 mins or until just set.
Top the custard base with the toffee spread and sliced bananas. Whisk the egg
whites in a clean grease-free bowl until they form soft peaks. Fold in the sugar
and spoon on top of the custard. Bake for a further 10-15 mins or until the
meringue is set and pale golden. Serve warm.
Pizza-bread-bites
Kids and grown-ups alike will love these quick mini pizzas. They're perfect for
that quick and easy after-school snack. You can make them with white or
wholemeal bread, whichever your family prefers.
Serves four
- 4 slices medium thick white or wholemeal bread
- 1 tbsp tomato chutney or tomato and basil pizza topping
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 100g/4oz cheddar cheese, sliced
Toast the bread on both sides under a hot grill. Spread the toast on one side
with the tomato chutney or sauce. Top with the tomato and cheese slices. Pop
under the grill and cook for 2 mins or until the cheese is melted and golden. Cut
into triangles and serve hot.
Bread and butter brunch pudding
This is a really tasty anytime dish that the whole family will enjoy. It's sort
of a cross between pizza and an omelette. Serve it warm with salad for a
filling
and healthy meal solution.
Serves four to six
- 100g/4oz streaky bacon, rind removed
- 6 slices medium thick white bread
- butter to spread
- 6 tbsp tomato and herb pizza sauce
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 4 eggs beaten
- 450ml/3/4pt milk
- 75g/3oz cheddar cheese, grated
Butter a 900ml/2pt shallow ovenproof dish. Cook the bacon under a hot grill for
4-5 mins, turning once, until crisp and golden. Cut into bite sized pieces.
Meanwhile, spread the bread with the butter and the pizza sauce, remove the
crusts and cut into triangles. Arrange a layer of bread slices over the base of
the
dish, scatter over half the onions, bacon and half the cheese. Top with the
remaining slices of bread, arranging them in overlapping slices. Scatter over
remaining onion, bacon and cheese.
Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas Mark 4. Beat the egg and milk together
with seasoning and pour over the bread. Leave to soak for 10 mins. Stand the dish
in a roasting tin, pour boiling water from the kettle to come half way up the
outside of the dish. Bake for 25-30mins or until golden brown. Serve warm with
salad.
Apricot cherry and ginger bread cake
Serves twelve
- 225g/8oz brown or wholemeal bread crusts removed
- 300ml/1/2pt milk
- 100g/4oz dark soft brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 balls stem ginger, chopped and 3 tbsp of the syrup
- 100g/4oz no soak dried apricots
- 100g/4oz raisins
- 100g/4oz glace cherries, halved
- 25g/1oz flaked almonds
- 2 tbsp demerara sugar
Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Lightly oil a 23cm/9in
spring clip tin and line with baking parchment.
Break the bread into pices and place in a large bowl. Warm the milk; pour over
the bread and leave to soak for 10 mins. Use a fork to mash the bread until
smooth. Beat the sugar, eggs, spice and ginger syrup together. Stir the egg
mixture
into the bread, stir in the ginger and fruits.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and scatter over the almonds and
demerara sugar. Bake for about 1 hour or until firm to the touch and golden brown on
top. Leave to cool.
Serve in wedges for a delicious tea time bake.