Bored of Christmas pudding or fancy a change this year? This week I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious bread and butter pudding made with panettone – a Christmas dessert with a fabulous Italian twist.

Panettone is sweet bread that originates from Milan and you’ll find this across many dinner tables during Christmas in Italy, Spain, Brazil and many more countries. For this bread and butter pudding you can buy the panettone pre-made to save yourself some time in the kitchen, but I would definitely suggest buying a good quality loaf from a deli – our favourite at Incanto is a delicious Bonci “Drunken Bread” Panettone, mouth-wateringly moist and soused in sweet vin santo dessert wine. Of course you can make your panettone yourself if you prefer, there’s plenty or recipes out there including this one from Paul Hollywood.

So let’s get started!

To make your bread and butter pudding for 4-6 guests you will need:
75 g sultanas
6 tbsp milk
Grappa or whiskey for soaking
375 ml double cream
2 vanilla pods
4 eggs
150 g caster sugar
1 panettone
Butter to spread over panettone slices

Method

Cover the sultanas with grappa or whiskey and leave to soak.

First make the custard; mix the milk and cream in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the vanilla pods and bring gently to the boil – be careful it doesn’t boil over.

While that’s coming to the boil, whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl for approximately 3-4 minutes until thick and pale.

When the milk has boiled, remove the vanilla pod, and add the milk to the eggs, stirring continuously so they don’t ‘cook’. Leave to cool completely, then cover and put in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas 3.

To make the filling, remove the crust from the panettone and cut into equal slices. Butter both sides and cut each slice into four squares.

Line the bottom of each ramekin dish with the squares – gently overlapping and then cover with the soaked sultanas.

Remove the custard from the fridge and pour over the bread squares into the dish until half-filled. Place to one side for 5 minutes so that the mixture soaks into the bread and then fill with the remaining custard.

Place the ramekins in a roasting pan filled with enough hot water to come halfway up the side (bain marie) and bake for 15 minutes until set.

Remove the ramekins from the bain marie, allow it to cool and serve. They taste much better at room temperature than chilled.

Enjoy!