I remembered today, to show you one of the oldest dessert recipes that my grandmother made, a little modernized, thus becoming the best simple bread pudding recipe, with cinnamon and raisins. As simple and cheap as it is, so tasty, and I recommend you try it.
Put the milk in a pan to heat, together with the butter and the vanilla sugar. While the milk is heating, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, put four tablespoons of sugar over the yolks and mix them until you get a whitish paste. Now we have to combine these mixed yolks with hot milk pouring a little hot milk with a ladle, always stirring, until the temperatures are equal.
I take a round heat-resistant glass bowl, but it can be in any shape for the oven, which I greased well with butter. I put the pieces of bread in this bowl and poured the hot milk mixture over the bread. I pressed the bread a little so that all the pieces absorb the hot milk. Let the bread absorb all the milk well for two or three minutes, during which time sprinkle cinnamon powder and raisins on top. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the dish for 20 minutes.
Beat the egg whites, along with two tablespoons of sugar, until you get a hard foam. I incorporated in this egg white foam and two tablespoons of apricot jam for an extra flavour. After 20 minutes, I took the glass bowl out of the oven, spread the egg white foam on top and continued baking for another 10 minutes, until the egg whites turn golden.
I like to serve it hot with custard cream poured over it, but also with a little raspberry or apricot jam. Another version would be with a globe of vanilla ice cream or fruit, it is delicious.
Notes
Instead of raisins, you can use other fruits such as dried apricots or prunes.You can also add a layer of fruit jam or crushed walnuts under the layer of egg white foam.