Delias recipe never fails though I have adapted it a bit .Have made this more times than I can remember. .And my brother can smell it from two miles away:)
It's from one of her books published in the seventies.
Stale Bread .I use enough to three quarters fill one of those old fashioned cloam mixing bowls .Any old bread,brown white ,whatever's knocking around .I don't cut the crusts off either .It'll all soak down in the milk.
4oz Dried mixed fruit
2oz Brown Sugar ( demerara or golden caster is fine)
2oz Melted Butter
1 heaped tsp Mixed Spice
1 Egg ( beaten)
Milk .
Grated zest of an orange ( optional)
Soak the bread in the milk ( just slosh about half a pint in ) until it's sort of sludgy,beat it with a fork ,add the rest of the ingredients and mix it all together ,grease an oblong shallow tin ,bung the mixture in and put in the oven .I cook it in a fan oven for about 45mins to an hour on 16C.
Stick a knife in to test.
Let it go cold ,dredge with icing sugar or eat it hot with custard.