Hot Cross Buns Puddings

Quick!  Run to the shops before the season ends (or make your own ones using the recipe I posted) and buy some Hot Cross Buns!  In fact buy loads and stick them in your freezer, I have just had the most AMAZING dessert!!!  I should probably say it is a great way to use up your Hot Cross Buns after Easter, but actually I now buy the buns just to make this!  (I would make them to eat fresh)

This was a really easy and quick after dinner pudding (dessert may be a little too refined for this!)!  Made in seconds, and popped in the oven to heat up while we ate.

I used:
4-5 hot cross buns
1 carton of ready made custard
Handful of chocolate chips

Oh my, I can not begin to describe how good this is!

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC fan

So, slice the buns in half horizontally and lay in the bottom of an oven proof dish I had space for one extra cut in half too.  Spread over a cup of custard, sprinkle over some chocolate chips.  Then repeat – I had the crosses face up but they were mainly covered by the second layer of custard and chocolate chips!

Shove it in the oven while you eat your dinner – approximately 30 minutes.

Serve with cream, more custard or ice-cream!!!
The custard in the pudding turns to chocolate custard, the buns do not turn all stodgy like in a Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding but become soft and warm and we all just loved it!!!!!
Enjoy!

PS. I also made Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding (Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding) using

325ml/11fl oz full-fat milk
100ml/3½fl oz double cream
2 large free-range eggs
25g/1oz caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
Handful of summer berries

As above, cut the buns, in the middle layer just sprinkle the berries.  Next, mix the milk and cream stir in the caster sugar and lemon zest.  Whisk the eggs, then stir into the milk mixture. Pour the whole lot over the bread, sprinkle over some Demerara and cinnamon, and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Serve warm.

But can honestly say that we did not enjoy it as much– I have not had many bread and butter puddings, but it seems that it is very stodgy

My First Blog and Custard Cream Biscuits

So my first blog post, and I never thought it would be one involving the kids!  Not that I don’t love my kids – they are just not allowed in the kitchen very often!

Today I feel like there is a ferret running around in my sinuses and having a good claw about on my brain.  So why on earth did I say yes when the kids asked to bake something?  Perhaps their droning and whining was even more painful to bear and I buckled.  We managed to negotiate from full blown ornate cupcakes using all the cutters, pearls and fondants down to custard cream biscuits.  (Of course these have been on my want list for the last couple of weeks!  But they don’t need to know that!)

I started with Nigella’s ‘Feast’ recipe, and then found Jo Wheatly’s ‘A Passion for Baking’ online.  I could not be bothered to move an entire cupboards contents to get to the food processor (necessary for Nigella’s) plus did not think the kids would find that much fun (of course that was a latter thought) so we muddled through by hand.

I managed to wangle making the buttercream filling all by myself, so did get 5 minutes peace with my whisk!  Although having made 1000’s of kilos of BC I managed to mess it up …trying to take a shortcut and make it all in one go!  As I am sure will become apparent as the blog continues, I LOVE custard; I added 5 times more than Nigella said and twice as much as Jo.  I think it tastes rather nice!

Here is the final result which all considering I am rather pleased with – I did not abandon all and leave to burn in the oven and even piped the cream in the middle!

I think I will tweak the recipe between the 2 a little more, roll out thinner and perhaps wait until everyone is at school and I am feeling less zombie like! 
Now I'm hoping to go and snooze on the sofa, fingers crossed no lego pieces will get shoved in my ear or up my nose!

I hope to make these again soon, and get my own recipe which I will then share with you!