Chocolate Orange Bread & Butter Pudding

Grease a large casserole dish (I use an oval 28cmx25cm dish).

Slice the bread into 2.5cm (1 inch) thick slices and spread with the butter, then cut each bread slice into 2.5cm (1 inch) chunks.

300 g (10.5 oz) white bloomer-style bread, 3 tbsp unsalted butter

Arrange the bread chunks in the casserole dish and sprinkle over the candied peel and sultanas, then put to one side.

100 g (¾ cup) candied peel chunks, 100 g (⅔ cup) sultanas

Heat the milk, cream, and vanilla extract in a pan until almost boiling, then turn off the heat.

240 ml (1 cup) full-fat milk, 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) double (heavy) cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract

To a jug, add the egg yolks, brown sugar, and cornflour and mix together.

4 egg yolks, 100 g (½ cup) light brown sugar, 2 tbsp cornflour

While stirring, using a whisk, add a splash of the hot milk mixture to the egg-sugar mixture. Continue to add the milk to the eggs, a splash at a time, while stirring with the whisk, until the milk has all been added.

Give the milk pan a wash to remove any milk residue, then pour the milk and egg mixture back into the pan. Heat over a medium heat, whilst slowly stirring with a whisk, until the mixture thickens.

Turn off the heat and stir in the orange extract and dark chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts.

1 tsp Valencian orange extract, 150 g (5.3 oz) dark chocolate

Spoon the chocolate mixture over the bread in the casserole dish and mix it together to coat the bread.

Leave to sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175C/350F (fan).

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the bread mixture, then place the dish in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges of the bread are crisp.

80 g (½ cup) chocolate chips

Remove from the oven, arrange the orange slices on top and sift the confectioners’ sugar on top. Serve on its own or with ice cream.

1 orange, 1 tsp confectioners’ sugar