Mexican bread pudding

Ingredients:

• 500 g of yesterday's bread, cut into pieces
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup (80 g) butter, melted and cooled
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.5 cup raisins*
• 1 cinnamon stick optional

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a 20cm square baking dish.
2. Place the bread pieces in a large bowl and pour milk over them. Let them soak for a few minutes to soften them. (About 5 minutes.) Crumble the pieces with your hand or a fork.
3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and pour them into the bread mixture, then add the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins. Mix until smooth, but do not overmix.
4. Pour the mixture into a greased pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Break a cinnamon stick into pieces and randomly insert them into the pudding. You can add another stick if desired. I prefer this way because that's how bread pudding was sold in my hometown. The cinnamon will give the bread a pleasant aroma, and your kitchen will be filled with a wonderful scent while baking.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Check for doneness with a toothpick. The crust will be crisp on the surface, but the inside will remain soft.
6. When you take the bread pudding out of the oven, it will look fluffy. Wait for it to cool before slicing. It will shrink a little as it cools.
7. Serve the pudding with honey or maple syrup. You can drizzle it with a little fig syrup. Enjoy the pudding with a cup of coffee.
   
   

   Note

   
   You can also add 1/3 cup of coconut or chopped pecans.