Hot cross bun bread and butter pudding

Don’t throw away those stale hot cross buns – make a comforting dessert with them instead. This Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding is heavenly warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.  It’s like a hug in a bowl!

I used to think I hated bread and butter pudding. Stale bread in custard? No thank you. But that was before I actually tried one.  I was converted immediately.

It must have been about seven years ago – I was cooking my way through the Nigella Bites cookbook when I came across her ginger jam bread and butter pudding.

It was sweet, comforting and I loved the contrast between the crispy bits on top and the custard soaked bread in the middle that melted in your mouth. It was dreamy.

the perfect simple easter dessert

This hot cross bun bread pudding recipe is 100% the best way to use up any stale hot cross buns you might have lying around after Easter weekend, or any time. I’ve always firmly believed that hot cross buns are too good to be enjoyed just once a year…….

STEP 3 – Make the custard.

Place the eggs, caster sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, milk and cream in a large jug or bowl. Whisk together with a fork or small whisk until smooth.

Pour the mixture evenly over the hot cross buns.

STEP 4 – Leave to soak for a while.

Cover the dish with cling film or a piece of tin foil and leave it for a minimum of 15 minutes to a maximum of an hour. This soaking time will allow the custard to soak into the stale buns, making them soft and squidgy.

STEP 5 – Time to bake!

When you’re ready to bake the pudding, place the dish in a large roasting tin and carefully half fill the tin with water. This helps keep the temperature uniform, resulting in a smoother, silkier custard.

I know it’s an extra step that seems like a bit of a hassle – but it’s really worth doing. It makes such a difference.

Sprinkle the top of the pudding with demerara sugar. Bake at 180C/160Fan/350F for around 30-40 minutes or until the custard has set and the top of the buns are golden and crunchy.

how to tell if hot cross bun pudding is ready

When the pudding is ready, it will look golden brown and slightly crisp on top. The centre of the pudding should still be a little “jiggly” in the middle. This is exactly what you want. It will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven.

This is the stage where you’re in danger of over cooking it. As long as there is no liquid batter, it’s ready. We’re looking for soft set, silky custard. If there is a lot of liquid, cover the dish with foil and return to the oven, checking it every 3-4 minutes.

serving suggestions

When the bread pudding is ready, carefully remove it from the roasting tin with water and let it sit for about 30 minutes before serving.

This cosy pudding begs to be served warm with cold double pouring cream. Just try it and tell me I’m wrong.

Having said that, you might want to serve it with ice cream or even more custard. Clotted cream might be a good idea too. Whatever floats your boat.

variations

It’s worth mentioning that I’ve made this recipe with my chocolate orange hot cross bun recipe and it was a huge success. I omitted the raisins and added more chocolate chips. It’s a chocolate orange fan’s idea of heaven and highly recommended.

Add a splash of alcohol if you like – an orange liqueur such as Cointreau would be perfect!

reheating leftover hot cross bun bread pudding

Leftover pudding can be reheated in the microwave for about 3 minutes or in the oven at 160C/140Fan for around 15-20 minutes or until piping hot.

If you’re reheating in the oven, it’s a good idea to cover the pudding with a piece of tin foil.

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Hot cross bun bread and butter pudding

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This hot cross bun bread and butter pudding is heavenly warm from the oven with softly whipped cream.  It's like a hug in a bowl!

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Ingredients

• 6 stale hot cross buns
• 100g chocolate chips,milk or dark
• 100g raisins or sultanas
• 75g soft butter
• About 25-50g orange marmalade
• 50g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 250ml milk
• 100ml double cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• finely grated zest of one orange
• 50g Demerara sugar for the top, optional

Instructions

1. Slice the hot cross buns in half and spread with the butter and marmalade. Arrange the hot cross bun sandwiches in a baking dish. The buns should sit snugly together inside the dish with no large gaps.
2. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips and raisins or sultanas.
3. In a jug mix together the eggs, sugar, milk, cream, vanilla extract and the orange zest. Slowly pour this over the buns.
4. Cover with cling film or tin foil and leave to soak for a minimum of 15 minutes or a maximum of 1 hour, lightly pushing the buns into the custard.
5. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F. Place the dish in a large roasting tin. Pour water in the roasting tin half way up to make a "bain marie". Sprinkle the top of the pudding with Demerara sugar, if using and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pudding is golden and crunchy on top and the custard is smooth and silky.
6. Remove the pudding from the oven and roasting tray (be careful of the boiling water!) and allow to sit for about 30 minutes before serving with double pouring cream.

Notes

This hot cross bun pudding is delicious served warm with softly whipped double cream, ice cream or custard.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 103gFiber: 2gSugar: 90gProtein: 5g

Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.

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