St Nicholas Abbey is one of only three Jacobean mansions left in the Western Hemisphere. Today it is a cultural museum and also a state-of-the-art rum distillery. Anna Warren, the co-owner with her husband Larry, made us this sensational Barbadian bread pudding with custard sauce, beautifully matched with a glass of their rich, smooth rum.

1/4 cup raisins

2 tablespoons rum

2 cups cubed bread

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash salt

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Rum custard

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 large eggs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons rum

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Soak raisins with rum. Butter ovenproof gratin dish that holds bread in a single layer. Scald milk with sugar and butter. Lightly beat eggs. Add salt, vanilla extract and spices to milk mixture. Add eggs, but ensure milk is not too hot (or it will scramble the eggs). Add raisins and rum. Pour mixture over bread. Place dish inside a roasting pan filled with hot water to halfway up dish.

Bake about one hour or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cut in squares and serve with rum custard. Serves 4

Rum Custard Sauce

Bring milk and cream to simmer in a pot on medium heat.

Beat together eggs, sugar and salt until slightly thickened. Beat in warm cream and milk, plus the rum, and return to pot. Stir over medium heat until sauce starts to thicken (do not allow it to boil as it will curdle).

Pour sauce into a bowl and serve warm or cold, poured around pudding. Makes 1½ cups.