BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING WITH ORANGE CUSTARD

Serves eight to 10 INGREDIENTS

500ml double cream 500ml whole milk 120g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod

6 large egg yolks Pared zest of 1 large orange, removed in wide strips

750g panettone Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD

Heat the cream, milk and half the sugar with the vanilla until steaming,

but not boiling. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 60g of sugar until fully incorporated with no visible sugar. Pour the warmed milk mixture over the yolks, whisking to combine. Return to the pan and, using a spatula, stir

continuously over a medium heat until it

reaches coating consistency – don’t let it boil, or this will scramble

the eggs. Pour into a large heatproof container. Add the orange zest, cover it and leave to steep for

30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Slice the panettone into

2.5cm thick slices, trimming off the crusts if

you don’t like them. Strain the custard, half in

one bowl and half in another, wide bowl. Dip the slices of panettone briefly

into the wide bowl of custard and place into a baking dish (mine is 20cm

x 30cm and 5cm deep), layering the slices up. Pour over the remaining custard from the same bowl and gently press down on the top of it, making sure none of it is dry. Cover the top of

the dish in foil, tightly sealing the edges, and bake

for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top with demerara sugar and return to the

oven for 15 minutes. Dust with icing sugar

and serve with the remaining orange custard.