Apple & Lemon Bread or Rice Pudding

This is a very versatile pudding, but always delicious with its big hit of lemon flavour. I use rice because of my problems with wheat but bread would make it a more local dish. I'm classifying this as an all-year dish, because when apples are not in season it would be just fine made with other fruit instead, providing they go well with the dominant lemon theme. I make this quite often. It isn't particularly glamourous, but oh boy is it good.

The recipe also makes quite a lot; if you aren't pudding hogs like us you might want to cut it in half. It would probably take slightly less time to cook (but not half) so you would need to watch it.

I'm also sending this pudding in to Sugar High Friday with their theme of pudding for the month. Check it out. I sure plan to; puddings are probably my favourite type of dessert.

1 hour 20 minutes - 20 mintues prep time (not counting cooking of rice)
8 to 10 servings

4 cups day-old bread, cut in cubes
OR 4 cups cooked rice (1 1/3 cups raw, about)
the finely grated zest of 2 lemons

1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

6 medium-large apples

the juice of 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
4 extra large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Put the bread cubes or cooked rice in a large bowl, and add the grated lemon zest.

Put the sugar, milk, butter and salt in a pot and heat, stirring regularly, until the butter and sugar melt and the mixture is steaming. Pour it over the bread or rice, and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Peel and core the apples, and cut them into thin slices, or dice them if you prefer. Put them in a large shallow casserole dish. I use my large lasagne pan.

Beat the eggs, one at a time, into the pudding mixture. Pour the pudding mixture carefully over the apples, and gently mix them in.

Bake the pudding for 1 hour at 325°F. Serve warm or cold.