Thursday, March 20, 2008

Stale hot cross buns? Make 'em into bread pudding!


If you’re like me, you started to salivate when those hot cross buns hit the market in the weeks before Easter. Laden with candied fruits, and topped with that wonderful white icing, I couldn’t resist picking up a few packages. But now, try as we did to finish them, the buns that are left are beginning to dry out around the edges.

Of course, we couldn’t toss them. Bread pudding time!!!!

We cut one of them into chunks, which we placed in a small glass baking dish along with a few currants and chopped dried apricots. Mixed up some eggs, cream, sugar, and butter, then added a splash of Grand Marnier, and we were on our way.

We frosted them with a cross of vanilla icing, and served the pudding topped with chopped dried cranberries. We know what we’ll have for breakfast tomorrow.

HOT CROSS BUN BREAD PUDDING

1 stale hot cross bun, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons currants OR chopped dried fruit
2 eggs
1/4 cup half & half
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Confectioner’s sugar icing

Place bread chunks into buttered 1-1/2-pint glass or ceramic baking pan. Top with fruit. In bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, milk, sugar, Grand Marnier, and butter. Pour over bread mixture, saturating bread. Let stand while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes or until set and browned on top. Cool slightly and serve topped with a ‘cross’ of icing. Serves 2-4.
© 2008, Recipe by Portia Little.

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