'Kinda-healthy' Rum 'n Raisin BREAD PUDDIN'

About a few weeks ago I bought some whole wheat/grains bread - the 'Seed Lover's' version with no sugar added, no artificial colours, no flavours... NO NOTHING, which meant it was blah as hell. Sure it was healthy but it had no taste. Even after toasting it and plastering some butter on it, it was still blah. Usually toasting and plastering was enough to turn any blah bread into something worth eating - but not this one.

You could see the flax seeds, sesame seeds, barley flakes etc., so I know it was good for me and healthy as can be but...

after eating two or 3 slices I thought to myself, "I can't eat this? I ain't no bird." So I left it alone and went on to something else.

Another week went by when I noticed no one else was touching the bread. I had to do something with it. I didn't want it to go to waste. Then the usual lightbulb went off in my head.

"I know, I'll make some 'healthy' bread pudding out of it!" 

So I searched around for a simple bread pudding recipe that I was going to turn into a healthy one because let's face it, no matter what recipe I found, it'll be healthy after using this bread!

Then I came across this Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce recipe, and thought, "Yup! That's the one I'll be making."

So I threw all the ingredients together - the milk, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, raisins, bread... and let's not forget the most important ingredient, the rum...

stir them around a bit...

Then packed it all in into two small glass baking dishes.

And forty-five minutes later, voila! My kinda-healthy rum 'n raisin bread puddin' was born. 

It actually tasted pretty good. The raisins helped a lot for a bit more sweetness and the rum gave it that extra added kick!

You can really see the seeds when you cut it open...

About a week later...

I must say that the rum flavour became more distinct as the days went by which also meant the bread pudding became more flavourful! It most definitely would have tasted even better with that rum sauce. I had no time to make - but you can!

Now this recipe would have been a fully healthy one instead of a 'kinda' healthy one if it weren't for all that sugar (ok, and the rum), so you can always substitute the ingredients to make it more healthier ('cause I know that's what y'all gonna do anyway), but I'm keeping it just as it is! Well, maybe I'll add a touch of that over rated spice we all love so much, cinnamon, next time. ;)

Enjoy!

Recipe

Kinda-healthy Rum 'n Raisin Bread Puddin'

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup RAISINS
• 1/4 cup dark RUM
• 1/4 tsp NUTMEG
• 1/2 cup SUGAR
• 4 EGGS
• 1 cup MILK
• 8 oz whole grains BREAD, cubed (that works out to be 8 slices)
• Rum Sauce (here)

Instructions:

1. Pour the rum over the raisins and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve the liquid.
2. Whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, reserved rum, and nutmeg. Pour over the cubed bread and toss well. Transfer to a greased 8” baking dish and sprinkle the rum-soaked raisins on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.*
3. Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm drizzled with Rum Sauce

* Shoot! I think I missed the 'cover and refrigerate part'. Oh well, it still turned out ok. Also, I didn't sprinkle raisins on top but rather mixed it into the bread cubes mixture!

(Original Recipe: Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce)