Panettone Butter Pudding

The special Italian Christmas bread, panettone, makes the ideal base for bread and butter pudding. Panettone can be found in Italian delicatessens and supermarkets long after the festive season is over. Or buy a few extra at that time as they keep for months.

Slightly grease a baking dish – the size depends on how many people are going to eat this creamy dessert – this is recipe serves 4 hungry folk but isn’t exact because it doesn’t need to be.

Ingredients

8 panettone slices, toasted – easier to use the grill but be careful as panettone toasts quickly
4 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
2 cups of cream
Caster sugar

Method

Arrange the toasted panettone in the dish and don’t worry if some pieces are uneven or wonky. Whisk the eggs, add sugar and cream. Add to the dish and ensure all the panettone gets a soaking. If you think the dish needs some more moisture, add a touch of cream or even milk. Sprinkle the top of dish with caster sugar and bake at 180c until slightly firm and top of the pudding starts to colour. This will take about 25 minutes.

Serve with a scoop of really good vanilla ice-cream.

Enjoy with a glass of moscato or a fortified.

•    Note any bread can be used such as brioche or left over stale white bread, if so add dried fruit to the mix such as chopped apricots, raisins, sultanas, anything you like.