Nothing brings me more joy than pondering what I’m going to eat next.
If you ever catch me staring wistfully into the distance, trust I’m not lost in the heady throes of romance or thinking deeply about the fabric of life.
I’m literally just thinking about what I’m going to eat next.
Usually when I bubble up the things I’d like to eat, I tend to cook them within 6 or 7 days because I plan my meals a week in advance.
However this take on a Bread & Butter Pudding has been a year in the making. Not because it’s particularly groundbreaking or revolutionary, I’ve B&B Puddings being made with Hot Cross Buns for years, it’s just that as a family we’re deathly faithful to my Panettone version, which you can find a recipe for in my eBook of Christmas recipes Get Stuffed here.
But this Hot Cross Bun version is glorious. And I mean that.
Perfumed with the heady aroma of orange, cinnamon and cardamom and thick with eggy, sticky, marmalade clotted custard, this pudding is something to really plonk on the table with a jug of cream, sit back and watch people salivate.
Happy Easter everybody.
I hope you all have a lovely day no matter how you are celebrating and who you are celebrating with.
Serves 4 – 6
4 hot cross buns
Enough butter to cover the cut buns
2 tablespoon orange marmalade
200mll full-fat milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon soft-brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange blossom water or juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon granulated brown sugar
- Preheat your oven to 180c.
- Halve your hot cross buns, butter both sides and spread the orange marmalade on one side of each bun.
- Close them back up – almost like a marmalade hot cross bun bap – and squeeze these into a small tin, don’t worry if they feel crowded.
- In a jug, combine the milk, eggs, soft brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and orange blossom flower water (or orange) and whisk to combine.
- Pour this mixture over the buns in the tin and using your hands (or a spoon if you’re prissy) press them down a little so that the buns get a bit drenched. Leave them to soak in for 5 – 10 minutes to absorb the custardy mix.
- Now scatter over the granulated brown sugar – I sometimes use Halen Mon’s Oak Smoked Demerara Sugar – and slip in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes until everything is sticky, glossy, crunchy on top and starting to caramelise in between.
- Leave to cool (if you have the patience) for about 10 – 15 minutes as it will be hot. Otherwise, slather in double cream and have a happy Easter.
MIKEY AND THE KITCHEN. 