Hi, hello. I’m so sorry that it has been a year since my last blog post but today I am BACK and I have a very exciting recipe for you guys! Easter is coming up so soon and it’s one of my favourite occasions to think up recipes for.
This Blackberry and Earl Grey Hot Cross Bun Pudding would be the perfect Easter dessert…
…but at the same time would also make a delicious Easter breakfast. It’s kind of like a baked french toast and can be made ahead of time (we love an organised Queen!)
Hot Cross Buns have been in the supermarkets literally since Boxing Day, but I’m a traditional gal. I like to savour them just around Easter time. I have even dabbled in making my own No Knead Hot Cross Buns. However this time, I used store bought Hot Cross Buns to make it easy.
If you’ve been following for a while, you know I will take any opportunity to infuse tea into my sweets. From ice cream to cookies to cakes, I just love tea flavoured desserts of any kind. The good news is that it’s actually really easy to impart the flavour of your favourite tea into any dish containing milk or cream by heating it to just boiling and literally just giving it some time to infuse in. If you want a stronger flavour, either add more tea or infuse for a longer time. Strain out the tea leaves and use as normal in your recipe! So easy and it will give your dish a lovely unique flavour. I love T2 tea and for this recipe I used their lovely French Earl Grey, which has a beautiful floral flavour.
Once you’ve infused your cream, just whisk it together with a couple of eggs, vanilla (use your heart to measure this one!), some maple syrup and melted butter. I wanted to get a strong blackberry flavour into this recipe so I spread each hot cross bun generously with blackberry jam and sandwiched them back together before pouring the infused cream mixture on top. I also added blackberries before AND after baking.
Check out my reel or TikTok for a how to video of how to make my Blackberry and French Earl Grey Hot Cross Bun Pudding and find the full recipe at the end of this post!
Honestly I really loved how this recipe turned out! The spice and dried fruit in the hot cross buns works perfectly with the blackberries. Of course you could use whichever jam/berry combination you like – raspberries or blueberries would definitely be delicious too. There are also a heap of Hot Cross Bun variations available now which might be fun to play with too! PS if you use gluten free hot cross buns, this whole recipe is gluten free too!
I served this with a dusting of icing sugar, more fresh blackberries and a drizzle of cream. Vanilla ice cream is also highly recommended. My other favourite thing about this Hot Cross Bun Pudding is that the leftovers are delicious heated up in a pan with a little butter. Much like regular french toast, the exterior becomes a little crispy and it’s so delicious!
I hope you’ll try it this Easter! If you do please tag me on Instagram or TikTok!
Related Post: Raspberry and Ricotta Baked French Toast
Blackberry and Earl Grey Hot Cross Bun Pudding
This Blackberry and Earl Grey Hot Cross Bun Pudding is like a baked French toast. It's so perfect for Easter breakfast or dessert!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 2-3 teaspoons French Earl Grey tea leaves
- 6 hot cross buns
- blackberry jam about half a jar
- 3 eggs
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 20 grams melted butter
- 125-150g fresh blackberries (1 punnet)
- Icing sugar, to serve
- Pouring cream, to serve
Instructions
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Combine the milk and cream in a small saucepan with the French Earl Grey tea leaves. Stir and heat until just boiling. Cover with a lid and leave to infuse for at least 20-30 minutes. If you want a stronger flavour, add an extra teaspoon of tea leaves and/or allow to infuse for longer.
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Slice each hot cross bun in half and spread generously with blackberry jam. Arrange in a baking dish.
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Strain the cream through a tea strainer into a litre jug and discard the tea leaves. Add the vanilla bean paste, eggs, maple syrup and melted butter and whisk until well combined. Pour the mixture over the hot cross buns and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F). Add half the blackberries to the top and bake for 40 minutes, checking on it half way. If the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil and return the oven.
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Serve warm with the remaining fresh blackberries, a dusting of icing sugar and a drizzle of pouring cream.