CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT CROISSANT BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

SERVES 12

“If you like, to ‘French toast’ your pudding, melt 20g butter in a frypan over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add a 3cm-thick slice of the pudding and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden.” – Kate Reid Begin this recipe at least 3 hours ahead.

Cooking oil spray, to grease 800g (about 6) day-old croissants 400g chocolate hazelnut spread 4 eggs 2 cups (500ml) milk 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 2 tbs caster sugar

1/ 2 cup (125ml) maple syrup Melted dark chocolate and chopped

roasted hazelnuts, to serve

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 24cm x 12cm loaf pan. Line the base and long sides of the pan with 2 layers of baking paper, leaving 5cm overhanging (this will make it easier to remove the pudding to serve).

Halve croissants horizontally and spread with chocolate hazelnut spread. Reserve 2 croissants and cut the remaining croissants crossways into 6cm pieces. Press into prepared pan. Top with whole halved roissants, tucking the edges in at the sides.

Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and caster sugar in a bowl. Pour egg mixture over croissants and stand for 1 hour to soak. Bake, covering with foil halfway if top croissants get too dark, for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in pudding comes out clean and top is golden.

Place maple syrup in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Place the pudding on a tray lined with baking paper and carefully pour over the hot syrup to coat the top. Stand for 1 hour to cool. Pull pudding from tin and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with chocolate, scatter over hazelnuts and slice thickly to serve.