Bread ‘n’ butter pudding

I like to add medjool dates to this well-loved classic. They add sophistication and richness. It’s a great way to use up left-over brioche too.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
500ml	thickened cream, (35% milk fat)
250ml	milk
1	vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped
1	cinnamon stick
1	orange, finely grated zested
5	egg yolks
1	whole egg
150g	caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
600g	Brioche
or	good-quality white bread
	butter, softened, for greasing
200g	medjool dates, pitted, and torn into quarters

Preheat the oven to 150oC.
Bring the cream and milk to the boil in a saucepan with the vanilla bean and seeds, cinnamon and orange zest.
Stir the egg yolks and whole egg in a heatproof bowl, then add the caster sugar. Add the hot cream mixture, a little at a time, whisking as you go.
In the meantime, break the brioche into rough golf ball-sized hunks. Butter a 2 litre-capacity baking dish generously with butter, then dust lightly with caster sugar. Arrange the brioche in the dish and disperse the dates between the layers.
Strain the cream mixture through a sieve over the brioche. Allow to soak for some time, pushing the brioche pieces down occasionally as they soak up the liquid and become quite squishy.
Dust with caster sugar and bake for 50–60 minutes or until golden and set.
To serve

Enjoy the pudding hot, dusted with icing sugar, with cream or ice-cream on the side.