Individual mini Maltese bread puddings!

This is a variation on the traditional Maltese bread pudding which I served for dessert!

Individual mini Maltese bread puddings!

Soak  a loaf of bread in one mugful hot water and one mugful milk…squeeze out excess moisture.  Add 4 tbs cocoa powder, 100g ground almonds, 200g sultanas, 100g glace cherries, 100g candied peel, 100g orange/tangerine candied peel, 2 tbs mixed spice, 1 tbs cinnamon,1 tbs ground cloves, some vanilla essence, 1 tbs bicarbonate of soda, a dash of dry martini;  check for sweetness and add 4 tbs brown sugar (or to taste).  Add 50g melted butter, and 3 beaten eggs.  Mix well.  Grease small individual pudding moulds or aluminium moulds and add a layer of the pudding mixture, one cube of cooking chocolate and a knob of butter, cover with more pudding mixture.  Bake in a preheated oven at 175 (lowered to 150) fan electric oven.  If you want a nice, soft consistency, add a dish full of water at the bottom of the oven.  Once cool, drench each pudding with dry Martini and serve with some nice vanilla icecream or panna.