hot cross bun and butter pudding

hot cross bun and butter pudding

• 8 Apr 2013

Do you remember me moaning about my inability to consume hot cross buns during Easter? Well I've rectified that and perhaps I've over compensated a little because my freezer is now filled with hot cross buns. So what to do with all those leftover buns?



The weather in Sydney has been down right miserable the past few days. A week ago it was 30ºC and on Thursday it was only 16ºC. As it's been so cold and wet, on Saturday I decided to use a few of those hot cross buns to make a bread and butter pudding.



Now the best bread and butter pudding I've ever eaten has been at Matt Kemp's restaurants. Where Matt goes, so does the bread and butter pudding so I've eaten it at Restaurant Balzac, Montpelier Public House and the Burlington. I think these days he's cooking at Gazebo Wine Garden and I hear a version of his famous bread and butter pudding is on the menu. I tracked down his recipe and discovered the secret to it's deliciousness, apart from lashings of egg yolks and milk. Matt sprinkles the pudding with icing sugar and brulees the puddings just before serving.



I made 2 individual serves of the pudding in small dishes using one mini hot cross bun per dish. You could make a larger pudding using 4-6 hot cross buns. Just adjust the quantities accordingly.

Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding (serves one) printable recipe
1 mini hot cross bun
softened butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon caster sugar
¼ teaspoon of vanilla
100 mls milk
1 tablespoon cream

To serve
1 tablespoon icing sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method
Slice the bun horizontally in 3 and butter each slice. Place the buttered bun in a small dish. I made one pudding with the cross side up and one with the cross side down. I suggest placing the bun upside down as the top browns too quickly.
In a small bowl, mix the egg with the caster sugar and the vanilla. Add the milk and cream and mix until well combined.

Pour the mixture through a sieve over the sliced bun in the little dish. Let the pudding rest for about 20 minutes so the custard soaks into the bun. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. 

Place the pudding into a bain marie of cold water and bake in a moderate oven 180ºC/350ºF for 30 - 45 minutes. When the top is brown, the pudding has puffed up and the custard is set, take the pudding out of the oven.



Before serving, sprinkle over the combined icing sugar and cinnamon and caramelize the top with a brulee torch or place under a heated grill. 



Voila - one piping hot, hot cross bun and butter pudding just perfect for this weather.

See you all again on Wednesday with some more baking.

Bye for now,


Jillian