Chocolate bread and butter pudding
This pudding is not too chocolaty or sweet. Brown malted bread and prunes soaked in brandy are in place of the usual sultanas. Bread and butter puddings can often be dry but not this one. Serves 6.
INGREDIENTS
250g soft prunes, pitted
30ml brandy
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
75g unsalted butter
7 slices multi-grain brown bread
160g dark chocolate (70%)
3 large eggs
Few drops vanilla extract
75g caster sugar
400ml double cream
25ml cold water
TO GARNISH
Icing sugar, for dusting
1 small tub crème fraîche
Raspberries
METHOD
1) Lightly butter an ovenproof oval dish about 30x20cm and 5cm deep.
2) Cut the prunes in half and soak in the brandy.
3) Stir the cinnamon into the butter until it’s soft enough to spread.
4) Trim the crusts off the bread then gently spread the cinnamon butter on it.
5) Break the chocolate in pieces into a bowl and melt it over simmering water. Remove from the heat once the chocolate has melted.
6) In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla with the caster sugar for 4 minutes.
7) Stir half the cream into the melted chocolate, then stir in the water.
8) Stir in the egg mix then the remaining cream.
9) Cut the bread slices into quarters (corner to corner) and place a layer into the buttered dish, butter side up. Cover the bread layer with half of the chocolate mix, then sprinkle on the prunes.
10) Make a second layer with the remaining bread then add the remaining half of the chocolate mix, making sure all of the bread is well covered.
11) Wrap the dish using clingfilm and refrigerate for
12 hours to let the bread soak up the chocolate mix.
12) Bake in a preheated 180C/160C fan/gas 4 oven for 30-35 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème
fraîche and raspberries.