If you’re anything like us, and had more Hot Cross Buns in your house this Easter than you knew what to do with, then this recipe is for you. Previously, I’ve recommended French-toasting them, but baking them into a pudding is also a very satisfying option. We served them up for a dessert at a family lunch today, and it was very yummy.
This is based on the recipe for Bread and Butter pudding from Donna Hay’s Modern Classics Book 2.
Ingredients
600g slightly stale Hot Cross Buns (we used an 8pk of Woolworths bakery buns)
~100g Spreadable butter
4 large eggs
4 cups (1L) milk
1/2 cup (125mL) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5mL) vanilla extract
~1 tablespoon (15mL) raw sugar (a.k.a. demerara sugar) for topping
Water for hot water bath
Method
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
Leave the buns in a block, and slice off the “crusts” from the sides and bottom (leave the crosses on). Then slice the block of buns in half, butter both sides and put back together.
Slice the block into thumb-width strips, e.g. 2 buns long and something like 1/3 or 1/4 of a bun wide. Butter the sides of the strips.
Grease a 6 cup (1.5L) round baking dish, and arrange the strips around the inside. A nice pattern is to put the strips in pointing up, but on an angle, arranged in concentric circles.
Place the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk briefly. Then add milk mix to combine.
Pour the liquid over the buns in the baking dish and stand for 2-3 minutes.
While waiting, boil some water. When finished, sprinkle raw sugar onto the buns, place baking dish into a baking tray, and pour water into baking tray so that it comes half-way up the sides of the baking dish.
Put the whole thing into the oven and bake for 65 minutes (or until the liquid sets).
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving with cream or ice-cream.
Serves 6-8 people.
OMG yummers! Thing is, we’d never have enough cross buns left over in this house. Might have to buy some of the stale leftovers on special.
I am now TOTALLY over hot cross buns. There’s a fine line between eating enough bun to get through the long, cold, bun-free winter, and never wanting to see another bun again. I crossed it.
Next time, I must remember to pace myself.
However, easter eggs are still working for me.