hot cross bun bread & butter pudding

Not many words today (whaaat?), Nick is in the cab on the way home from the airport and I am sitting here with wet hair, straight out of the shower…more recipes coming for Easter, see you soon!!!

8 hot cross buns, each sliced into 3 pieces through the middle

60g butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup raisins or sultanas, optional

300mls milk

250mls cream

2 egg yolks

3 whole eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup caster sugar

To serve:

1-2 tablespoons icing sugar

Use a little of the butter to lightly grease a 15cm x 25cm (or equivalent) baking dish (I used a big loaf tin). Spread remaining butter on one side of each of the bun slices and layer them into the dish. It’s nicest if you don’t have the top too neat – the crunchy pokey-outy bits are extra good with the custard base! Sprinkle over raisins, if using. Beat milk, cream, yolks, eggs, vanilla, zest and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over buns and leave to soak in for half an hour whie the oven preheats to 180˚C. Put the pudding dish in a big roasting dish and pour boiling water in to come half way up the sides. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove tinfoil and bake another 20-25 minutes until golden and custard is set. Remove from water bath and leave to cool/set for a minute or two before serving dusted in icing sugar with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 10