Barbados Bread Pudding With Rum Sauce Boasts a Souffle Lightness

Dear SOS: Pisces restaurant in the Barbados, West Indies, serves a wonderful bread pudding topped with rum sauce. I would love to try this variation. Can you help?

--NEDRA

Dear Nedra: Pisces sent us this recipe, which, because of its lightness, falls quickly like a souffle. PISCES BREAD PUDDING CREOLE

3/4 cup raisins

Rum

4 cups (1/2-inch) bread cubes

3 cups milk

3 eggs

7 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup melted butter, cooled

Presoak raisins in rum to cover 10 minutes, then drain, reserving 1/2 cup rum for sauce. Combine bread cubes with milk. Let stand 2 hours or overnight.

Beat eggs with sugar and butter. Add to milk mixture with drained raisins. Pour into well-greased individual dishes and bake at 375 degrees 45 minutes or until puffed and brown. Serve with Rum Sauce. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Rum Sauce

1/4 cup soft butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

Rum reserved from raisins

Cream together butter, sugar and egg until light in top of double boiler. Stir in rum reserved from raisins and cook over simmering water until mixture thickens. Serve hot in sauce boat with pudding. Makes 3/4 cup sauce.

Dear SOS: Please print a recipe for Honeyed Nuts. I would like to prepare them for Christmas.

--MRS. E.R.C.

Dear Mrs. E.R.C.: A rush order for Christmas.

HONEYED NUTS

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups walnut halves, pecan halves or other nuts

Combine sugar, salt, honey and water in saucepan. Cook, uncovered to 242 degrees on candy thermometer, or to firm-soft ball stage. Remove from heat, add vanilla and nuts and stir until creamy. Turn out onto waxed paper and separate nuts with two forks as they cool. Makes about 1 quart.

Dear SOS: I lost the recipe for a delicious fudge made with mashed potatoes. I believe the white or chocolate fudge contained coconut. I hope you have the recipe in your file.

--JANICE

Dear Janice: Yes, we do, and we’re happy to replace your lost recipe.

MASHED POTATO

FUDGE

1/4 cup hot mashed potatoes

1 teaspoon butter or margarine

2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Dash salt

1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Mix potatoes and butter in bowl. Add sugar gradually and beat until well blended. Add vanilla, salt and coconut. Pack in greased 8x4-inch loaf pan. Spread chocolate over top. Chill until chocolate is firm. Cut in squares. Makes 1 1/4 pounds.

Note: If desired 4 squares candy-making chocolate, melted, may be substituted for unsweetened chocolate in recipe.