Bread and butter pudding: so simple, so comforting. For the most part I quite like a traditional one, but during the festive season, I’m more than happy to break a few rules. The cranberries bring a welcome burst of colour and a delicious tartness that cuts through everything rich. And December is probably the only time of year that I’ll happily eat marzipan, so I’ve snuggled a few nuggets into the custard for pops of almondy chewiness.
Cranberry and marzipan bread-and-butter pudding
Prep 20 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 8
For the cranberry sauce
200g fresh or frozen cranberries
65g caster sugar
Juice of ½ orange
For the pudding
500ml milk
200ml double cream
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp almond extract
70g caster sugar
The zest of 1 orange
10 thick slices brioche
75g marzipan, roughly chopped
A small handful of flaked almonds
Icing sugar, for dusting
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4.
Put the cranberries, sugar and orange juice into a small saucepan over a medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the cranberries become soft and syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large jug, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, yolks, almond extract, sugar and zest.
Cut the slices of brioche in half diagonally, to make triangles, and arrange them snugly into a baking dish. Scatter the chunks of marzipan over, nestling some of them in between slices. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and let it sit for 15 minutes to soak.
Right before baking, scatter the flaked almonds over the top and spoon about half of the cranberry sauce across the surface of the pudding. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the custard is set with a slight wobble in the middle. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before dusting with a little icing sugar. Serve warm with custard and the rest of the syrupy cranberry sauce.
