Chocolate and Orange Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding

This is by way of a response to a request from my husband....however, not a bad idea is it? The cold winter seems to be coming rather sooner than we would have liked and it is time to dream up some warming dishes to make us all feel a little cosier!

So, here goes, with a touch of indulgence to cheer these short days....so enjoy!

1 pack of brioche rolls ~ halved
50-75g butter ~ softened
1 litre soya milk
4 large free range eggs
1 vanilla pod ~ seeds only
50g golden caster sugar
100g dark chocolate ~ roughly chopped
(you could use chocolate chips)
Finely grated zest* of 2 clementines
50g Demerara sugar

*I have just been bought an amazing new zester! I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is made by 'Edgeware' It is available from www.lakeland.co.uk and is also in their high street stores. See picture below.




METHOD

Grease large rectangular ovenproof dish with butter

Butter the halved brioche rolls and place them along the base of the dish

Scatter half the chocolate and half the zest over the bread, then place more halves of brioche at right-angles to the first row

Finish with another scattering of the chocolate and then the remaining zest
over the top of the bread

Now for the velvety, delightful custard...you will note that I am using soya milk in this recipe. It gives such a creamy taste without all the calories...so, I make my custard and milk puddings with it...yum!

Tip the milk into a pyrex basin and heat in the microwave for 4 mins

Meanwhile, beat the eggs until they are light and bubbly. Add the caster sugar and stand aside

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod (keep the pod!) and add to the milk and add this hot milk to the eggs. Whisk well

Now is the time to pour the custard over the brioche; you need a sieve to catch any stringy egg white. Pour steadily over the brioche until evenly covered

Scatter the Demerara sugar over the top and leave to soak for about an hour

Cook on MEDIUM heat in Microwave for 10 mins, then transfer to oven at 150ºC for approx 30 mins

Pudding will rise and turn brown. It is ready when it is just set yet has a lovely golden brown crusty top...how wonderful!

Tip: Used dry vanilla pods are fantastic to place in your jar/s of sugar..giving a lovely flavour and scent. They will stay useful for up to a year.

SERVE WITH GOOD QUALITY ICE-CREAM OR POURING CREAM...x