If you want to spoil mum with a slap up feast on Mother’s Day, this naughty but nice pud fits the bill. It comes from Lulu Cox, chef and co-founder of SSAW Collective, a London-based community of chefs, florists and growers committed to an ethical way of working with seasonal produce. The perfect way to round off a celebration lunch, we think it also makes for the ultimate breakfast in bed.
Ingredients
For the custard
500ml whole milk
500ml double cream
6 egg yolks
120g caster sugar
For the pudding
4 croissants
knob unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
1 clementine or small orange, grated zest
70g sultanas, soaked in brandy (optional)
Method
- Start by making the custard. Weigh the milk and cream into a medium-sized pan and gently heat over a medium flame. Meanwhile mix the egg yolks and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl.
- Once you start to see steam rising from the pan, pour the milk and cream mixture over the egg yolks and sugar and mix thoroughly. Rinse the pan with cold water then pour the custard mix back into it. Have a clean bowl with a sieve set over it on the side, ready to pour through when your custard is cooked. Gently cook the custard, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it reaches 82°C. (If you don’t have a thermometer, stop cooking once the custard coats the back of the spoon.) Remove from the heat, pour through the sieve and allow to cool. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper to stop a skin forming on the surface.
- Turn on the grill of your oven. Slice the croissants in half lengthways. Place on a roasting tray and toast until golden brown, watching carefully to check they do not burn. Remove from the oven.
- Using an old butter paper, or scrap of greaseproof paper, grease a medium-sized ceramic dish. Place the croissant halves on their sides in the dish so that they fit snugly. Scatter over the chocolate, tangerine/orange zest and boozy sultanas. Finally, ladle at least half of the custard over the top, saving the rest for serving. Allow the croissants to absorb the custard for at least an hour before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/gas mark 2.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes until the custard is hot and the chocolate melts. Serve with the remaining cold custard.
To learn more about SSAW, see ssawcollective.com