What's The Secret?

I just don't understand...I followed the recipe to the dot, but it just doesn't taste right. I am talking about my great grandma Lucy's recipe for "Perfect Bread Pudding." I have no idea what i did, but its just wrong. Maybe The recipe I've tasted is a changed version of the original. Is Lucy like me and doesn't really use measurements usually and just wrote that recipe down as a guessitimation. Maybe i have to use a certain brand of bread, maybe i need more brown sugar or less vanilla? UGH. I'm ripping at my newly dyed hair, dying to figure this out [no pun intended]! The texture is spot on, so the milk to bread ration was fine, but why does my attempt at this taste so different from my Grandma's!? The flavor is good but its just not how its supposed to taste... Maybe I'm just not ready to learn this great family recipe, I'll probably attempt it in the next few days with a better plan of attack.
Well, here's the recipe to my Great Grandma Lucy's "Perfect Bread Pudding":

Perfect Bread Pudding:
-1 1/4 c. milk
-2 slightly beaten eggs
-2 c. day old bread, 1" cubes
-1/2 c. brown sugar
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 c. dark or golden raisins

preheat hotbox to 350

Combine milk, eggs and bread. Add sugar vanilla and cinnamon. Stir. Fold in raisins. Spread into a greased 8x8x2 pan. Place that pan in a shallow pan with an inch of water. Slide into the oven and cook for 30 to 40 mins; until a fork comes out clean when stuck in the middle.

Have with ice cream [I like having it with Ben and Jerry's Americone Dream designed by Stephen Colbert], whipped cream, or a brown sugar glaze.