BAGUETTE AND BUTTER PUDDING

Steps:

• NB The instructions are edited and the comments in brackets are mine.
• Grease the sides of a 1.5 litre shallow baking dish with some of the butter (I use a Le Creuset oval dish).
• Spread the bread slices with the remaining butter (I spread on both sides, sometimes using a little more butter than he suggests).
• Arrange the bread in the dish in overlapping layers, sprinkling the dried fruit in between.
• Beat the egg yolks, whole eggs and granulated sugar together until creamy.
• Beat in to the mixture the cream, milk and liquer.
• Pour the mixture over the bread.
• Press the bread slices down gently so they are completely submerged.
• Let stand for about 20 minutes so that the bread can soak up the custard mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 350F (180C, Gas Mark 4).
• Put the dish in a roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dish, to prevent the custard from overheating and curdling.
• Sprinkle with demerera sugar and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden.
• Warm the jam so that it is runny.
• Remove the pudding from the oven and dab it with the jam. Let it stand for 15 minutes before serving so it firms up. (I take it our of the bain marie but Gordon is unclear on that point).