RECIPE | Chocolate banana hot cross bun bread and butter pudding

Makes: 1 large pudding or six ramekins

Ingredients:

4-5 chocolate hot cross buns, preferably stale

Butter

2-3 bananas, sliced

Custard:

4 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

180ml (¾ cup) caster sugar

250ml (1 cup) full cream milk

250ml (1 cup) cream

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

Topping:

Sticky brown sugar

Method:

1. Slice the buns vertically into 4 slices and butter each slice. Pack buttered slices into a baking dish or ramekins with slices of banana tucked in between.
2. For the custard, beat together the eggs, yolks, caster sugar, milk, cream and vanilla until well blended.
3. Pour the custard mixture into the ramekins over the buns and set aside to allow them to soak up the custard. Keep adding the custard until the buns are well saturated.
4. Sprinkle each pudding with brown sugar.
5. Place the dish or ramekins into a roasting pan and fill the pan with hot water to come halfway up the side of the dish or ramekins. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until the custard is set.
6. Serve immediately with a drizzle of honey, custard or cream.