This decadent bread and butter variation uses croissants and dark chocolate for a truly indulgent treat.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (80 g) sultanas
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Grand Marnier
- 3 x 240 g (7½ oz) pack of 4 croissants
- 80 g (2½ oz) butter, softened
- 200 g (6½ oz) dark (semi-sweet) chocolate, chopped finely
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1⁄3 cup (75 g) caster (superfine) sugar
- 3 cups (750 ml) milk
- 300 ml pouring cream
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 tsp orange rind
- 2 tsps icing (confectioners') sugar
Steps
Preheat oven to 160 C/325 F. Grease a shallow 2.5 litre (10-cup) ovenproof baking dish.
Place sultanas and Grand Marnier in a small bowl; stand for 10 minutes or until the sultanas have absorbed most of the liquid.
Split croissants in half; using 60 g (2 oz) of the butter, spread on the cut sides. Sprinkle three-quarters of the chocolate over croissant bases; sandwich together with croissant tops.
Arrange croissant sandwiches, overlapping slightly, in dish. Top with remaining chocolate and the sultana mixture.
Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, milk, cream, vanilla and rind in a large jug; pour over croissants. Stand for 10 mins or until milk mixture has soaked into croissants. Dot top with remaining butter.
Place baking dish in a large baking pan; add enough boiling water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish.
Bake pudding for 50 minutes or until just set. Remove dish from pan; stand for 10 minutes. Serve dusted with sifted icing sugar
TIP
To test if the pudding is cooked, insert a small sharp knife into the centre; if the blade comes out clean, the pudding is ready. Use orange juice instead of Grand Marnier, if you like.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au
