#InstaRecipes - Hot cross bun, pear & chocolate bread & butter pudding

Instagram has become my go to place for posting quick pictures of the things I'm creating, making, cooking and eating, and I've started a little thread I'm calling #InstaRecipes where some of my easy recipe ideas can be found.

You can find me at @GenevieveEats on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and at GenevieveEatsTV on YouTube.

Todays little #InstaRecipe was created on behalf of Sheila Dillon and the Radio 4 Food Programme who are coming round to my house any minute to record a show on the pleasures of the humble egg. As the author of A Good Egg, I'm chuffed to bits to have the legendary Sheila come and have a look at my girls, Petal, Pearl & Tilly and to try out some of my egg recipes.

This easy recipe was inspired by a pack of slightly stale hot cross buns (the result of one of those buy one get one free offers we're all suckers for) and I thought I'd make a seasonal Easter take on the legendary leftovers pudding.

Without further ado - here's the recipe, for the photos - all snapped on my iPhone - I was ably assisted by young Eve, aged 7, and its her small paws you can see.

You need - 5 hot cross buns, butter for spreading, 2 juicy pears, a bar of dark chocolate, broken into pieces, 4 eggs, 400ml milk, a little extra nutmeg & cinnamon, a tablespoon of demerara sugar

Here's what to do

• Grab your ingredients and turn the oven on to heat up (180C / 160C fan / gas 4)

 

• Slice the buns downwards, so that each is cut into about 5 one centimetre thick pieces. Butter each slice - be generous, the butter will add a richness that all puddings deserve (and it means you can happily just use milk in the pudding, no need for the addition of cream too) and layer into a deep baking dish

• Peel, core and cut the pears into wedges, tuck between the hot cross bun slices. Tuck in the broken up chocolate pieces.

• Crack the eggs into a jug and top up with 400ml milk. Spinkle over a little more ground cinnamon and grate on some nutmeg. Add as much or as little as you like.

• Lightly whisk it together with a fork and pour over the pudding

 

• Go slowly with the pouring so the egg mixture has time to settle rather through the buns, chocolate and fruit. Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar for a delicious crunch. 

• Bake in the hot oven for about 30-35 minutes. Check the pudding after about 25 minutes - if the top is getting a little too dark, loosely cover with foil to finish cooking. It is done when the custard has set but still has a slight wobble. Serve warm from the oven

Apples, pears & plums - a story of the amazing heritage varieties in my local greengrocer!!

What a lovely, & unexpectedly exciting, morning I have had, shopping in a small town called Keynsham. Halfway between Bath & Bristol, and a 10 minute drive from my house, its not the closest place to spend my money, but I do love the old fashioned high street stuffed with charity shops. I often go there looking for props for my food photography work.

But one of the main reasons I visit is to go to Buss's, a greengrocers that looks like it has been there for ever. The staff wear those knee length overcoats of the type seen in post-war ironmongers. Think Arkwright in Open All Hours. I love it.

So todays visit was all about the plums,  remembering from this time last year that they stock several interesting varieties that you definitely cannot buy at the supermarket. For supper club next weekend I am planning a plum, amaretto & almond crumble and I wanted to get a few different types to test out the recipe this weekend. Of the 9 varieties they had, some were sadly a day or so over ripe. Could it be that the people of Keynsham don't know whats good for them? I hope not, Buss's truly is a great community asset. I came away with a few Marjorie and a few Guinevere to see which make the nicest crumble.

Perhaps even more exciting than the plums was the whole shelving unit dedicated to heritage apples and pears grown at Brogdale Farm in Kent. Brogdale holds the National Fruit Collection and has over 4000 varieties, including apple types that Henry VIII would have enjoyed. "National Collections" are held for all genera of plants in different locations up and down the country. They are owned and supported by DEFRA principally as a genetic resource for future research.

I brought a few Laxton pioneer apples for munching just as they are, and 4 Siegnour Esperen pears for a recipe idea I am planning -  a pear & ginger baked cheesecake. The description on these squat, round little pears was: 'russet skin with firm cream flesh & an aromatic juicy flavour', which makes me feel they might just be perfect for the job. I shall let you know. Expect the recipe sometime next week....

So for those of you that are interested here is a list of the varieties Buss's had this morning. Apologies if I have written them down wrong - in my excitement they were hastily written down on the back of a receipt. If you live close enough to Keynsham perhaps you could go in and see for yourself.

PLUMS: President, Merryweather Damsons, Marjorie, Guinevere, Victoria, Valor, Edwards, Greengages (didn't specify type), Jubelium

PEARS:  Maxine, Triomphe de Vienne, Doctor Stark, Cheltenum Crob, Coscia, Nargilla, Doyeene George Boucher, Fondante d'autommne, Siegnour Esperen, Clara Frijs, Madam Fayre

APPLES: Fiesta red, Zomer Delicious, Garden Royal, Wilmuta, Emzo, Ribonde, Firs No 3, Karmijn de Sonnaville, Golden Aukilspur, Banns Margenrot, Macy Goldjour, Shinfeild seedling, Stirling Castle, Laxton pioneer