Gelatin Bread Pudding

Recipe No. 125 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Desserts. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Milk, evaporated — 9 — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 4¼ quarts (4¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Gelatin, plain — 3 ounces (12 mess kit spoons)
• Sugar, granulated — 3 pounds (1½ No. 56 dippers)

Salt — ¾ ounce (1½ mess kit spoons)

• Bread cubes, white — 10½ quarts (10½ No. 56 dippers)
• Eggs, slightly beaten — 30 eggs (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Vanilla — ¾ ounce (1½ mess kit spoons)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

1. Mix milk and water; pour 1 quart (one No. 56 dipper) milk over gelatin and allow to stand 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Combine remaining milk, sugar, and salt. Heat over low fire until slight film forms on top.
3. Add gelatin; stir until gelatin is thoroughly dissolved.
4. Pour hot milk mixture slowly over beaten egg, stirring constantly.
5. Add bread cubes; cook until thick.
6. Remove from fire; add vanilla and beat until frothy.
7. Chill.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Milk, evaporated — ¾ can(s) (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 1⅓ cups Gelatin, plain — about 1½ tsp Sugar, granulated — 3¾ oz Salt — about ⅓ tsp Bread cubes, white — 3⅓ cups Eggs, slightly beaten — 2⅓ eggs Vanilla — about ⅓ tsp

Serve with a sauce (recipes Nos. 485 to 490) or with cream.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 125, Desserts. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.