Hi Colette;
Here's my Mom's recipe from the 1931 edition of The Household Searchlight Recipe Book.
BREAD PUDDING
1 cup bread cubes
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 egg slightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp.cinnamon
2 cups milk, scalded
Combine sugar, salt. vanilla, butter, cinnamon and egg. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Add bread cubes and raisins, mix thoroughly. Pour into well buttered baking dish. Set in pan of warm water. Bake in moderate oven 350 for about 1 hour, or until inserted knife comes out clean.
Mom used to serve hers with a lemon sauce:
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Combine cornstarch and sugar. Add hot water slowly, stirring constantly, cook over hot water, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add lemon juice and butter. Sometimes Mom would kick it up a notch with a splash of whiskey.
I have a couple of other recipes from depression cookbooks, let me know if you want them.