With my sweet-tooth striking again, and not a lot of ingredients available handy to work with, I had to put together a little snack for the weekend. While the idea was in my head for a while, the New Year was the perfect opportunity! Hope this New Year brings health and all the happiness we wish for!

Ingredients:

white bread slices - 8
butter - 2 tbsp
sweetened condensed milk - 1 can
raisins - 1/2 cup
apple juice - 1/4 cup
vanilla extract - 1 tsp
whole milk - 3 cups
sliced almonds - a few

Method:

Soak raisins in apple juice for a couple of hours.
Remove the crust from the bread and cut into triangles.

Butter the bread and place in a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Broil in preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Boil two cups of milk with half a can of condensed milk, until it is mixed thoroughly and starts reducing. Remove from fire and add the soaked raisins.

Arrange bread slices in a baking pan and pour the prepared milk mixture. Soak for half an hour. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees (Fahrenheit) for about 20 minutes, until set.

In the meantime, prepare the shahi topping by blending together the remaining one cup milk, half can of condensed milk  and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil until it starts reducing and add sliced almonds.

To serve, take a portion of the pudding in a dessert bowl and pour a little of the shahi topping.

Notes:
The pudding can be served dry or with the shahi topping, as per individual taste. My husband likes the dry version while I prefer the topping!