Budín de Pan (Bread pudding)

1/2 pound of bread, after removing the outer rind
This can be French bread, Puerto Rican pan criollo, sandwich bread, etc. Bread can be fresh or preferably one or two days old.
4 cups whole milk, warm
4 large eggs at room temperature
4 tablespoonfuls butter, melted

(B)
2/3 cup raisins
1 teaspoonful ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar or suitable substitute like Equal or Splenda
1 teaspoonful vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon salt

Procedure:

Mix together the ingredients included in (B) and set aside. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Shred the bread into small pieces. Add 4 cups warmed milk and whisk until the bread soaks up the milk. If necessary, let stand fifteen minutes for the bread to soak up all the milk.

Beat 4 large eggs. Add slowly to the bread and milk mix, whisking the eggs into the mix. Add the melted butter and whisk in.

Add the ingredients included in (B) which you had previously mixed together. Blend in thoroughly.

Pour all ingredients into a buttered baking dish.

Place the baking dish into a much larger dish. After placing the baking dish into the larger dish, add enough water to the larger dish to fill it nearly three-quarters full.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees. It will take approximately one hour for the pudding to reach the desired consistency. Add water to the larger dish if necessary.

Alternately, you may use a "Ba–o de Mar’a" or double boiler to cook the pudding on the range over medium heat. Add water to the bottom section of the double boiler as necessary.

Try not to overcook. The pudding should be removed from heat as soon as it shows consistency (a couple of minutes earlier than you would normally remove a cake).

Some people like to eat it warm. For best results, though, refrigerate before serving. It will last two to three days, well covered, in the refrigerator.

Enjoy