Geoffrey Smeddle offers an alternative to the classic bread and butter pudding with this dish. Kids will adore the combination of sweet bread enriched with custard and topped off with raisins.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
Use the butter to grease a large baking dish.
To make the custard – a great skill for kids to learn - add the milk to a large pan and heat until just below simmering point. Make sure you stir continuously to prevent the milk from burning. Then add the orange zest, white chocolate and vanilla essence to the milk. Continue to cook gently and keep stirring.
Meanwhile, get your little helpers to whisk together the eggs and caster sugar in a large bowl, checking that it is nicely combined. When the milk begins simmering, pour a third of the milk into eggs/sugar mixture and mix again.
Pour this mixture into the pan of hot milk and continue to gently heat. Keep stirring until you have a thin custard. Then take the pan off the heat and stir for a further 2 minutes.
Get your little helpers to place the sliced brioche at the bottom of the greased baking dish, creating one layer. Scatter a handful of raisins over the brioche and then add another layer of brioche. Continue doing this until you use up the brioche and raisins.
Pour the custard over the brioche, allowing it to soak through and cover the bread. Set aside to soak for 15 minutes.
Place the baking dish into the oven and cook until the surface is golden brown and the custard is cooked and just beginning to set – this should take 40 minutes.
Take the dish out of the oven and spoon the pudding into bowls before serving.
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