CHRISTMAS CROISSANT PUDDING

I love a bread and butter pudding as much as the next man, but there is something special when you mix up the bread with store bought croissants. The little layered nooks poking through the top of the pudding offers crunchy and flaky, yet light bites making it a more appropriate dessert for a southern hemisphere christmas. The custard is hit with nutmeg and cloves for some festive spice, and the combination of orange and vanilla never gets old in desserts. The addition of cranberries give this dessert a bit hit of acidity that cuts through all the creaminess making it such a pleasure to dive into. If cranberries aren’t available, choose your favourite tart berries to pop and allow the juice to fall out and infiltrate the nooks between the croissants.

CHRISTMAS CROISSANT PUDDING

〰️

CHRISTMAS CROISSANT PUDDING 〰️

Time: 80 minutes

Serves: 6-8

5 croissants

360gm thickened cream

120gm sugar

3 eggs

1 orange (zest)

1 tbl sp gr cinnamon

1 tbl sp vanilla

1 tea sp gr nutmeg

1/2 tea sp gr cloves

2 tbl sp raw sugar

Handful cranberries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Start by cutting the ends off of your croissants before thinly slicing the middle part. Leave to the side.

Make your custard by whisking together cream, sugar, eggs, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until well combined.

Using a lined bread pan, layer your thin croissant slices along the bottom, filling the holes until all used up. Squeeze in 3/4 of your cranberries in the little nooks. Then on top place your croissant ends, points facing to the sky. Gently pour in your custard until it’s covering 80% of your mixture, with your croissant peaks poking up at out the top. Finish with raw sugar on top and place in even to bake for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, scatter the remaining cranberries into your mix, pushing them into the custard and cook for another 20 minutes or until set. Let rest for and cool completely before cutting and serving.