Budín de pan. This simple dish, a staple in thrifty homes of the last century, has been lost to the current generation of cooks, most of us remember our abuelas serving this. Our grandmothers often made Budín de Pan because it was an inexpensive, easy to prepare dessert that was delicious. In the old days bread pudding was cooked on the stove top - no ovens in Puerto Rico, by using a double broiler.

Mami loved making it because she was raised eating this delicious and simple Puerto Rican dessert. It is inexpensive to prepare, all you need is a few ingredients and day-old bread. Growing up in Puerto Rico I watched Mami prepare this dessert using old and stale French bread. We did not use sandwich bread, only French loaves. She would tear the bread into small pieces and let it soak in the rich cream custard. What she added differed from time to time. She would add a can of fruit cocktail at times but it was usually the traditional recipe with raisins. I loved it when she added pineapples. Mami would bake it in a caramelized pan, like a flan, sometimes. No matter how she prepared it the result was liking good - always.

Today this is known as an old-fashioned dessert. It is still delicious. I like to add a bit of rum and I like to serve mine with a warm butter rum sauce. It's easy to prepare.

You will need 1 lb bread, French bread, sliced bread is ok, Allow the bread to sit on the counter - outside the plastic, so it dries out, at least overnight and use old stale bread. Prepare the custard first by mixing together 4 cups evaporated milk and 4 cups whole milk, ½ lb melted butter, 2½ cups sugar, 6 eggs, ½ tp salt, 1½ tps ground cinnamon, and 1 tb vanilla. Blend that together well using the slow speed on a hand mixer. Then add 1 cup of raisins and ½ cup rum - stir a few times and that's ready. The rum is optional.

Now all you have to do is to take the bread and break it into pieces and drop it in the bowl - no need to remove the crusty rim on the bread. Let the bread soak up all the liquid - it should sit there about 15 minutes, at least. Then sit once more and pour into a greased mold, 9'" x 13" is good. Bake for about 1½ hours in a 375° oven. You will know it's done when it passes the knife test.

Once that is out of the oven you can prepare the rum sauce. It is easy also, just whisk together a 12-oz can evaporated milk, 3/4 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup sugar, and in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Once that is hot add 4 tbs butter and stir until melted. Next place 2 tbs cornstarch in a small bowl and dissolve with 4 tps cold water. Once the milk mixture is hot, add the cornstarch slurry, and then stir slowly and constantly until it reaches a thin, gravy like texture and a few bubbles rise to the surface. Turn off the heat, stir 4 tbs rum, and serve over warm bread pudding.

Not your grandmother's recipe. Enjoy!

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