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.
I’ve been making a Panettone spin on B&B Pudding for years (yes, outside of Christmas, I will not limit it to just the Christmas period) and if ever there was a craving, this is what got wheeled out. I was never able to really entertain the Hot Cross Bun idea.
Until 2020. And the confines of a pandemic willed lockdown told me that this would be the year I was uncage my Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding. It was time.
It’s glorious. And I mean that.
Like I said, I’d wheel out my Panettone version at any and every opportunity but this one is so good, I cannot let it live in the dark and mysterious confines of my imagination.
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.
People you live with of course. Stay at home… even if your friend is making this recipe… just stay at home… it’s worth leaving home for… but don’t.
Happy Easter everybody, I hope you all have a lovely day no matter how you are celebrating and who you are celebrating with.
Preheat your oven to 180c.
This is all dependent on how many hot cross buns you got, but this recipe was built around having 4, but could probably stretch to 6.
Halve your hot cross buns, butter both sides and spread some orange marmalade on one side of each bun. Now close them back up – almost like a marmalade hot cross bun bap.
Squeeze these into a small tin, don’t worry if they feel crowded.
In a jug, combine, 200ml of full fat milk with 2 eggs, a tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/4 of a teaspoon of ground cardamom, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a tablespoon of orange blossom flower water.
If you don’t have orange blossom flower water (a lot of you won’t, I mean… c’mon, how ridiculous is it) just squeeze in the juice of one orange.
Whisk everything together and then pour over the buns in the tin. Squeeze them down a little with your hands so that the buns get a bit drenched and leave them to soak in for 5 – 10 minutes to absorb the custardy mix.
Now scatter some crunchy brown sugar on top – I use Halen Mon’s Oak Smoked Demerera 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 strength) for about 10 – 15 minutes as it will be hot. Otherwise, slather in double cream and have a happy Easter.
