Don't go making a face and leaving the page now. This is not the damp, tasteless bread & butter pudding you were given as a child. This is a great dinner party dessert, and I am serving it as part of my Christmas meal because it is not only full of flavor, but also the least taxing of puddings!
The great Swiss chef, Anton Mosimann first showed me how great this dish could be. Here is my version, using a special ingredient appropriate to the holiday season: panettone.
Ingredients
1/2 pint milk
1/2 pint heavy cream
5 oz sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
a quarter of a panettone, sliced thinly
1 oz sweet butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
a little powdered sugar
Method
Bring milk, cream and salt slowly to boil Beat eggs and sugar together until creamy, then beat in hot liquid. Butter a baking dish, then butter the panettone thinly and arrange in dish. Pour the custard through a sieve over the dish. Leave to stand for 20-30 minutes. Set the oven to 325 degrees. Place the baking dish in a larger ovetnproof tray containing enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of your dish (a bain marie) and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the custard has just set. If the top is not browned at this point place it under a hot broiler for a few minutes, taking care not to overcook or singe. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar and a jug of cream.
