Decadent Croissant Bread and Butter Pudding

A warm boozy twist on a classic bread and butter pudding. Toasted croissants, soft vanilla custard, Disaronno, white chocolate and sharp, dried cranberries come together in one rich pudding that cooks gently in the Charlie while you eat dinner.

Ingredients

• 12 croissants
• 400 ml double cream
• 400 ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• 200 ml Disaronno
• 8 egg yolks
• 200 grams light brown or raw cane sugar
• 250 grams white chocolate buttons or chopped white chocolate
• 200 grams dried cranberries
• Good quality lump charcoal such as Stag Charcoal

Toast the croissants

1. Set the Charlie to 160°C.
2. Place the croissants on a rack and toast them briefly in the oven, until the edges are lightly crisp and golden.
3. Remove from the oven and let them cool before you break them up.

Make the custard

1. Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan.
2. Split the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add both seeds and pod to the pan.
3. Warm gently until steaming but not boiling, then take off the heat.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until smooth and slightly paler.
5. Slowly pour a third of the warm cream mixture into the yolk bowl while whisking.
6. Add the remaining cream mixture and whisk again until combined.
7. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place over a low heat.
8. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the custard has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
9. Remove from the heat, take out the vanilla pod and stir in the Disaronno.

Build the pudding

1. Break the toasted croissants into chunky pieces and place them in a deep baking tray or oven dish.
2. Scatter the white chocolate and dried cranberries evenly through the croissant pieces.
3. Pour the warm custard slowly over the tray, making sure everything is soaked.
4. Let the dish sit for a few minutes so the croissants absorb more of the custard.

Cook in the Charlie Oven

1. Place the dish on a middle rack inside the Charlie, which you've already set at 160°C..
2. Cook at 160°C / 320°F for about 30 minutes.
3. The pudding is ready when the custard is just set, the top has taken on gentle colour and the centre still has a slight wobble.

Serve

Spoon the festive croissant bread and butter pudding into warm bowls and serve as it is, or add cream or ice cream if you want it even richer. It's an ideal finish to any meal cooked over fire.