Festive Orange Danish Pastry Pudding
A baked dessert with layers of Danish pastry, mince pie filling, and orange-infused custard.
I came up with this idea because I had a bunch of ingredients and no plan for them. So this recipe was born, and it turned out to be one of the best desserts I've made in a long time. It blew me away - absolutely delicious. It's also VERY easy to make, and there's minimal washing up. Indulgent, festive, low maintenance and not too expensive to produce. Just what you need for the Christmas period!
This is a take on bread and butter pudding. I used Danish pastries because I had some stashed away in the freezer. You can substitute them for stale croissants, brioche, or just regular bread. I recommend some sort of flaky pastry like a Danish or a croissant though, for ultimate indulgence.
Makes one medium baking tray sized pudding.
Ingredients:
6-8 Danish pastries, torn into chunks
1 jar fruit mincemeat
300ml custard
300ml double cream
Zest of one orange
100ml full fat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp rum or brandy (optional)
Butter for greasing
Demerara sugar: 2 tbsp (optional, for a caramelised topping)
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease your baking dish with butter.
2. Mix the custard, double cream, orange zest, vanilla and rum/brandy in a bowl. If you have the patience, let this sit for a few hours or overnight for the orange to infuse.
3. Place half of the Danish pastry chunks in the dish. Spoon half the mincemeat over the top, scattered in blobs. Add the remaining pastries and scatter the rest of the mincemeat on top.
4. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the pastry layers, pressing gently to ensure everything is soaked. It might look like too much, but keep going as it will get absorbed by the pastry/bread. Optional: sprinkle sugar on top for a caramelised finish.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the custard is set.
6. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm with mascarpone, extra custard or a dollop of brandy cream.