Diplomate

( Bread and butter pudding )

If you have been experimenting with baking croissants, brioches or breads and you now have more than you know what to do with, the diplomate is the answer to your dilemma. Every day, every baker around the planet faces the problem of deciding how many viennoiserie they need to produce: not enough and the customers will get upset, too many and the wastage costs will soon amount to a small fortune. Now that we aren’t allowed to give away our left-over stock because of overzealous regulations, the only choice left is to find an ingenious method to recycle them. Over the course of my career I have seen it all, from the surprisingly tasty rum balls, often made with left-over cake or pastries, to cutting almond meal with shredded croissants and, of course, the deliciously rustic and earthy bread and butter pudding.

Serves 6

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) day-old croissants and/or brioches

200 g (7 oz) sultanas (golden raisins)

1.5 litres (52 fl oz) full-cream milk

150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter

2 vanilla beans, halved lengthways

12 eggs

250 g (9 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

50 ml (1¾ fl oz) rum

200 g (7 oz) apricot jam, for glazing

L Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Lightly grease a 12 x 25 cm (4½ x 10 in) rectangular cake tin, then line the base and sides with baking paper.

L Slice the croissants (and/or brioches) into 1 cm (½ in) thick slices and arrange a layer of pastries snugly over the base of the prepared tin. To achieve a better visual impact, lay the pastries so the light side (the inside of the pastry) is facing down. Sprinkle some of the sultanas over the top, then continue stacking and layering the remaining pastries and sultanas.

L Put the milk, butter and vanilla beans in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the surface begins to shimmer, remove from the heat, cover with a lid and set aside. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar together until a creamy, pale yellow batter forms, then whisk in the rum. Remove the vanilla beans from the hot milk and reserve. Whisking continuously on low speed, gradually add the hot milk to the egg mixture — don’t pour too fast or the sudden rise in temperature might cook the eggs and curdle your custard. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla beans into the custard and whisk until evenly dispersed.

L Pour the custard over the croissants until the mixture reaches the top of the tin. Set aside for a few minutes, then use your fingertips to punch holes through the pastries, to allow the custard to soak into them. Continue pouring in the custard in small additions until the pastries feel soft.

L Bake for 45 minutes, or until a paring knife inserted into the pudding comes out clean. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from the fridge and use a serrated knife to remove any burnt or dried-up pastry from the top. To do this, run the knife straight over the edges of the tin, from one side all the way to the other. Place a serving plate over the tin and flip the pudding over, then remove the tin and baking paper.

L To make a glaze, put the jam and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until melted and smooth. Brush the glaze over the pudding. Serve warm with fresh berries and yoghurt or thick (double/heavy) cream. As with many custard cakes and puddings, this can be kept for up to 1 week in the fridge and tastes delicious served either cold or warmed in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 5 minutes.