This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Everhot cookers do the job of looking just like an electric Aga but you can control the temperatures of oven and hot plates all at the touch of a button. Revolutionary for farmhouse cooks the length and breadth of the countryside!
With Easter well on its way, I couldn’t resist rustling up something sweet and sticky for my girls. This little pudding takes minutes to prepare and, best of al,l uses up any leftover hot cross buns (as if there would be any with my lot!) or fruit loaves you may have lurking in the bread bin.
Hot cross bun and marmalade pudding
2 large eggs
200ml double cream
200ml whole milk
3 tbsp caster sugar
3-4 leftover hot cross buns, ½ cinnamon loaf or leftovers of any fruit bread
50g butter
3 tsp marmalade
zest of ½ orange
sugar for sprinkling
METHOD
Mix together the eggs and sugar with a small metal whisk and then pour in the cream and milk, whisking all the while. Leave this mixture to one side.
Cut your hot cross buns (cinnamon loaf or fruit bread) into slices. Butter the slices and then spread a thin layer of marmalade over the top of this. Add the slices to an ovenproof dish which can hold at least 1 litre of liquid and overlap them slightly.
Add the orange zest to the eggy liquid, pour over the slices in the dish and leave to soak up for 5-10 minutes. Once the liquid has all been absorbed, sprinkle a little sugar over the top. I find that brown sugar works the best for this as it leaves a lovely crisp golden crust to the pudding. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade/350 Fahrenheit/gas mark 4 or top oven on your range cooker until golden and crisp on top.
A delicious alternative to Easter chocolate – perfect served with ice cream or a drizzle of cream.