- 6 free-range egg yolks
- 2 free-range eggs
- 150g/5oz caster sugar
- 300ml/½ pint whole milk
- 300ml/½ pint double cream
- 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
- 75g/2½oz butter
- 8 ready-made hot cross buns, halved
- 25g/1oz sultanas
- 25g/1oz raisins
- 25g/1oz demerara sugar
- For the custard, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar together in a bowl.
- Place the milk, cream and the vanilla pod and seeds into a pan over a low heat and slowly bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla pod.
- Pour the milk and cream onto the egg mixture and whisk well.
- Butter the hot cross buns, then cut into quarters.
- Place a layer of the hot cross buns into a 22cm/9in x 10cm/4in, 5cm/2in deep ovenproof dish.
- Sprinkle with some sultanas and raisins and the demerara sugar. Repeat the layers and finish with a final layer of buns.
- Pour the custard over the buns and leave to stand for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.
- Place the dish into a deep roasting tray and add enough water to the tray to come a third of the way up the dish (this is a bain-marie). Cover with foil.
- Carefully place the pudding and bain-marie into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the custard has set. Remove the foil for the final five minutes of cooking to brown the top.
- Serve the pudding with cream or mascarpone.