BRIOCHE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

A quick and easy pudding that you can throw together in 10 minutes and everyone will love.

An alternative to the traditional bread and butter version using French brioche.

You can also use stale croissants or hot cross buns and sprinkle over flaked almonds for an extra

nutty crunch

Ingredients

5 French Brioche Rolls, cut in half and lightly buttered

3 eggs

1/2 pint milk

2 dessert spoons caster sugar

4 drops of vanilla extract

golden syrup

Place the buttered brioche rolls into a baking dish

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a large jug.

Mix in the sugar and the vanilla extract and pour over the brioche rolls

If time, leave to soak in for half an hour

Drizzle over a spoonful of golden syrup and then

Bake in the oven in a bain marie for 20 minutes at 180 degrees

Serve with a spoonful of strawberry jam and pour over double cream.

RUSTIC PLUM TART

My son, Will, is a keen baker, in more ways than one and today made this Rustic Plum Tart from Isidora Popovic, Popina book of baking.  It was delightful, was being the operative word as it didn't last long!

Really quick and easy to make and great as a sweet snack with coffee or a warm dessert with a dollop of double cream.

90g golden caster sugar                                  Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4
1 Egg                                                                   Put the sugar and egg in a mixing bowl and mix with an
40ml groundnut oil (or any other veg oil)        electric whisk. Add the oil, milk, flour, baking powder and
55ml whole milk (we only had semi skim)      vanilla and mix again until combined.  Transfer to the
140g plain flour                                                 prepared baking tin and spread evenly. Sit the plums, cut
1 teaspoon baking powder                             side up, over the mixture.
A few drops of vanilla oil                                  Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until
6 large plums, stoned and halved                   deep golden.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool for
2 tablespoons apricot jam                               for a few minutes.
to glaze (optional)                                             In the meantime put the apricot jam, if using, in a small
A 20cm springform tin, lined                           saucepan and heat gently until melted and runny.  Brush the
with greaseproof paper                                    jam all over the tart with a pastry brush and leave for a few
                                                                            more minutes before serving.
                                                                          
                                                                            
Makes about six (generous) slices                               

This book is brilliant and I would recommend it to anyone - I got this for my birthday and have already made lots of  tasty treats from it. With this plum tart I used basic caster sugar as an alternative to golden, the only difference is that the cake will be slightly paler in colour after being baked but hardly notices and is easily covered by the apricot jam glaze anyway. No greaseproof paper so buttered around the tin sides instead.

The apricot Jam is optional but I think essential to the presentation and taste of the tart. The plums become slightly wrinkled by the bake and the jam will make the top layer of both the sponge and the apricots moist; also it gives the cake a nice sweet taste - Will