Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients:

• 300 ml full cream milk
• 300 ml thickened cream
• 10 hot cross buns
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 150 g butter spreadable
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate buttons
• 1 tbs raw sugar
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Line your cake tin with baking paper. The tin I’ve used is 20cm in diameter and not springform (springforms risk leaking when you pour in your thin custard). If you don’t have such a cake tin, you can use a casserole dish.
2. In a large jug, whisk together milk, thickened cream, eggs, allspice, cinnamon and caster sugar until eggs are well incorporated (if they’re not completely whisked in, you may find small sections of plain old cooked egg white through your pudding).
3. Spread butter on either side of each slice of hot cross bun and arrange them flat in the base of your cake tin/casserole dish.
4. Once the base of your tin is covered, sprinkle 1/4 of your milk chocolate chips on top.
5. Retrieve your bun tops, spread butter on the underside and arrange them as desired on top of your first layer.
6. Sprinkle the rest of your chocolate chips on top, allowing them to fall in and fill the cracks left between the bun tops.
7. Serve warm with cream and/or ice cream.
8. Pour your milk and cream mixture into your cake tin, sprinkle the top of your pudding with raw sugar, and set aside in the fridge for an hour to allow the hot cross buns to soak up the custard.
9. Preheat your oven to 180C.
10. Once at temperature, place your pudding in the oven to bake for 45 minutes, or until the centre of your cake has set.
11. Cut each hot cross bun horizontally in to three sections, set the tops aside.

NOTES

If you find your hot cross buns start to float and are popping up out of the custard, sit a small plate on top of your pudding to hold them in the custard while they rest in the fridge. Ensure plate is removed before placing your pudding in the oven.