Pudina tal-Khobz literally means “bread pudding” (the “kh” is pronounced hhhh-phlegm), but it’s nothing like the English bread-and-butter pudding you’re used to. Instead, it’s dense, darkly chocolate-y and spicy – almost like a cross between a brownie and a panforte.
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf (approx 500g) of day-old bread (Maltese bread or Vienna is best, but sliced bread can be used just as well)
- 2–3 cups of milk
- 1/2 cup of softened butter or margarine
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup of cocoa
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brandy, rum or sweet sherry
- 2 cups of dried fruit: sultanas, raisins or mixed dried fruit
- 1 cup of glace cherries, halved or cut into large pieces
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- *Optional: 1/2–1 cup of roughly chopped almonds.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Tear up the bread into small chunks and place in a large bowl. Add the milk and soak into the bread for up to 30 minutes.
Squeeze out the excess milk, then work the bread with your hands, kind of like working a dough, but without the rolling. Add all the other ingredients and mix together with your hands, until it’s well combined.
The mixture should not be too pale – if you have to, add extra cocoa. Taste test as well for sweetness (make sure you don’t have a piece of the fruit when you taste). Add extra sugar if desired.
Spoon the mix into a greased rectangular baking dish. Press down firmly and smooth with the back of a spoon. (Some people sprinkle sesame seeds, or flaked almonds, on top. Up to you.)
Cover with foil and bake at 200°C for one hour. Reduce the heat to 180°C, remove the foil, and bake for a further 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven an allow to cool before slice.
Pudina is usually served cold, but it can be served warm with cream or ice-cream.
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