Dark chocolate and mandarin panettone bread and butter pudding

British summertime is officially over, it's coat weather and my lips are constantly chapped. Hello November and, more to the point, hello pudding season! 

Predictably, I love this time of year. Comfort and contentment become the order of the day, and that's what lies at the heart of this recipe. Bread and butter pudding is such a classic, and can be amazing and disgusting with equal aplomb. I've had it both ways, and I've come to the conclusion that using an enriched bread such as panettone as the base of the pudding makes for a better texture.

Panettone tends to start appearing in the shops at this time of year, as Christmas food takes over. This pudding is a fantastic way to use up any leftover slices. Make this on a Sunday morning, then pop it in the fridge to allow the bread to soak up all of the custardy goodness. Pop into the oven to bake while you're eating your roast - and thank me later. If you're feeling really fancy, whip up the spiced mandarin sauce to go with it. 

THE INGREDIENTS 

for the pudding

400g slightly stale panettone, or brioche 

75g butter, very soft

1 tsp mixed spice

Grating of nutmeg

Zest of 1 mandarin

50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

2 tbsp orange liqueur, optional

200ml whole milk

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3 eggs

25g caster sugar

100ml double cream

1 tbsp demerara or coconut sugar

for the spiced mandarin sauce

1 x 400g pot Nature’s Finest Mandarin segments

1 cinnamon stick

3 cardamom pods

1 star anise

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3 cloves

Honey, to taste

Heat the oven to 180°C. Place the butter, mixed spice and nutmeg in a small bowl, and mix to incorporate the spices into the butter.

Slice the panettone and cut each piece into four triangles, then butter each piece on both sides. Butter the inside of a deep baking dish, then arrange the panettone triangles in the dish. Scatter over the clementine zest and the chocolate, and douse with the orange liqueur if using. Set aside.

To make the custard, place the milk and vanilla in a small pan and set over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Separately, beat the eggs with the sugar. Once the milk is simmering, pour a little over the eggs and whisk quickly to temper. Then, add the tempered eggs to the pan of milk and whisk over the heat. Once just thickening, add the cream and remove from the heat. Carefully pour over the bread, and leave to soak for 15-30 minutes.

Dot any remaining spiced butter over the top, then scatter with the demerara sugar. Place in a roasting tin, then fill the tin with water until the water reaches halfway up the dish – this is to help the custard cook evenly. Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.

While the pudding is cooking, make the spiced mandarin sauce. Empty the pot (juices and fruit) into a sauce pan, and add the spices. Bring to a simmer over a very low heat, and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes to allow the spices to infuse.

Add a little water as needed. Taste the sauce at the end, and add a little honey if you feel it needs sweetness. Remove the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves before serving.

Allow the pudding to stand for 20 minutes before serving.

This recipe was originally developed as part of a paid project with Nature's Finest. You can find my full collection of recipes HERE.