Panettone and Butter Pudding.

I think I've told you before, that, I'm afraid, I would never ever choose bread and butter pudding. It's just too....bready. I like my puds to be filling yes, but crunchy and creamy with different textures and tastes....definitley not bready. 

But hey, turns out, either I only think I don't like bread and butter pudding and in reality I find it yummy, ooooor panettone and butter pudding is a different beast all together and the extra butteryness, the extra softness and the extra citrussyness make for a really rather scrumptious offering that I really want more of...NOW.

I am not suggesting that you go to the effort of making your own panettone especially for the purpose of repurposing it (though if you had a lovely lazy day at home it would be the perfect kitchen pottering process) but if you make it yourself you will realise that it does not keep magnificently well and you might have a few leftover after a few days that have staled a bit, orrrrr you might be given one of those giant beasts of panettone, you know, the ones bigger than your whole head, and enjoy having it for breakfast for a few days in a row but then start to dispare about sinking under a sea of the stuff....either way, make this, even if you wouldn't ever choose to make bread and butter pudding or choose it from a menu.

 Make it, and you will eat it and question your whole being....ok maybe not your whole being but the puddingliking part of your being and that is a fairly significant part of mine, and yours, I would suppose, too. With Love and Cake.

Panettone and Butter Pudding

A few notes:

• This is a nice simple recipe that doesn't require any fiddle or faff...so don't fret majorly over quantities; use enough panettone to fit your dish and add a bit more cream or milk to your custard if you want more
• This reheats well; use the oven to keep the crispy top or the microwave for emergensies.

Serves 4

You will need

a small baking dish, well buttered

around 300g panettone, which works out as 2-3 individual ones, thickly sliced

2 eggs

150ml milk

2 tbsp double cream

1 tbsp caster sugar

1-2 tbsp demerara sugar

freshly grated nutmeg

• Arrange your panettone in your baking dish in a few layers and press it down slightly.
• Whisk togther the eggs, milk, cream and caster sugar and pour the mixture over the bread.
• Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the custard.
• Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°c.
• Sprinkle the pudding liberally with demerara sugar and freshly grated nutmeg before baking for 20-25 minutes, at which point it should be crisp and golden on top but still soft underneath.
• Serve with cream or custard or ice cream....or all three.