A Lower Fat and Sugar Roly Poly Bread and Butter Pudding

I've been experimenting here and there, trying to come up with lower fat and sugar versions of some of our favourite treats, thinking that Todd could benefit from them as well, even though he doesn't have to watch his sugar intake, he does have to watch his cholesterol.

Roly Poly Bread and Butter Pudding is a love of his. He loves bread and butter pudding to begin with and he adores jam on or in anything.

I thought I would make his favourite dessert in a lower fat, lower sugar version to see how it turned out.

It turned out really nice. It's composed of lovely little buttery roly poly bread and raspberry jam sandwiches laid on a bed of more raspberry jam, covered in a sweet vanilla custard, and then baked until it all souffles up in a rich cloud of baked custardy goodness . . . soft and creamy inside, with lovely buttery sweet crunchy bits on the outside.

Just one problem . . . when I did the analysis of the calories etc. it was still fairly high in sugar. I guess diabetic jam isn't much better for you than regular jam. One shudders at the amount of sugar which must be in a regular version of this.

It was a valient attempt however, and I did enjoy a small spoonful of it. I think actual mashed fruit might be better . . . I'll have to try it again using that and see.

You really couldn't tell much difference between it and the regular one taste wise. So, in that way I would call it a success.

*Roly Poly Bread and Butter Pudding*
The lower fat, low sugar versionServes 8

Printable Recipe

Little bread butter and jam rolls baked in a delicious vanilla custard until light fluffy and scrummy yummy! You will want to use very fresh bread for this. Dry bread will not roll properly.

85g softened low fat butter spread, plus extra to butter the baking dish (about 1/3 cup)
340g of low sugar raspberry jam (1 1/2 cups)
1 large fresh unsliced loaf of white bread
4 large free range eggs
415 ml of skimmed milk (1 3/4 cup)
415ml low fat evaporated milk (1 3/4 cup)

12g splenda sugar substitute (1/2 cup)

1 tsp of vanilla paste, or the seeds scraped from one vanilla pod

Caster sugar to sprinkle on top if desired (about 1 tsp)

Butter a deep two litre baking dish lightly. Stir the jam well with a fork and then spoon half of it into the prepared baking dish.

Trim the crusts and rounded top off of the loaf of bread so that you have a large rectangular block of bread. Carefully cut the bread into 4 long slices lengthwise. (This is the hardest part as fresh bread is a bit squidgy, but persevere and go slowly. It will be worth it.) You can whiz all the edges and leftovers into bread crumbs and store in the freezer for something else.

Spread each of the four long slices of bread on one side with low fat butter spread. Flip them over and spread the jam on the other sides. (Yes it will make the counter a bit of a mess, but again, it's worth it!) Roll up the bread slices, rolling up from the short sides, until you have 4 fat swiss rolls. Cut each in half carefully, so that you have 8 jammy rolls, and then place them, cut sides down into the jam lined baking dish.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, evaporated milk, splenda and vanilla. Pour through a strainer over top of the jammy bread rolls, stopping to allow it to soak in, until all the mixture has been used up. Let stand for half an hour on the counter before baking,

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with some more caster sugar and then place in the heated oven to bake for about an hour to an hour and a quarter until the top is lightly browned and the custard is gently set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes before serving. Delicious!

Calories per serving: 335

Fat: 8.4g

Carbs: 40.3g

Sugars: 34.2g

Protein: 21.8g

Note: Because there are only two of us I did cut the recipe in half and it worked well.