Black Garlic Bread Pudding

4 cloves black garlic peeled
9 oz milk
9 oz cream
pinch salt
1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
4 oz sugar plus 2 tsp for black garlic
4 bread rolls
2 oz butter, soft
4 tbs apricot jam
icing sugar

Put the black garlic through a press and mix lightly with 2 tsp of sugar to keep it separated.
Bring the milk, cream, salt and vanilla pod to a simmer and infuse for half an hour.
Mix the eggs and the 4 oz of sugar together and add the cream milk mixture.
Cut the rolls into slices, butter and tear into a buttered oven proof dish along with the black garlic.
Pour the milk over and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes, coating the top with apricot jam for the last 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before dusting lightly with the icing sugar.
Serve this warm or cold.  
This is a recipe from an old friend in Wales.  It is very old fashioned and totally delicious.  I always serve it at the table because it looks so attractive in the dish.