This hot cross bun pudding with chocolate and marmalade is an easier version of my original recipe, and here I have used ready-made Ultra Mel instead of making my own custard. The marmalade gives the dessert an orange flavour that pairs well with the chocolate, but you can totally leave it out if you prefer.

Hot cross bun pudding with chocolate & marmalade recipe

The Whisky maple glaze adds another layer of sophistication to the pudding, but if you are serving it to children, you could replace the whisky with orange juice or water. Make it in advance to allow the custard to really soak into the hot cross buns, and then pop it into the oven to bake off when you are ready.

Step-by-step images of how to make hot cross bun pudding.

Top with the whisky maple glaze before baking.

Recipe | makes 1 large desert | feeds 6 – 8

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:45

Ingredients

2 ½ cups of Ultra Mel vanilla or cinnamon flavour
6- 8 hot cross buns
70 grams chocolate either dark or milk or a combination of both cut into small shards/pieces
Marmalade – optional

Whisky maple glaze:

3 Tbs butter
3 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp whisky use orange juice or water if you prefer to keep in booze-free

Instructions

Make the pudding in advance and allow some time for the buns to soak the custard (up to a day before)
Cut the hot cross bun into 3 slices with the tops being just the domes.
Make the glaze by putting all the ingredients into a small pot and bring it the boil and simmer for a minute on low. Then set aside.
In a large enough baking dish (about 1.5-litre capacity) pour 1 cup of the Ultra Mel into the dish. Spread a very thin smear of marmalade on to the bottom third slice of the bun and nestle this snugly into the custard on the bottom of the dish. Submerge this if possible. Sprinkle over ¾ of the chocolate pieces. Then take the middle 1/3 slices of the hot cross bun and tear these up into shards/chunks. Pat these down on top of the chocolate. Pour over the rest of the custard and sprinkle the remaining chocolate.
Brush the underside/cut side of the dome of the hot cross bun with the hot glaze and then place this on top of the pudding. Repeat with the remaining domes. Push these down so that only the tops are visible on the surface. Lightly brush the domes with the glaze reserving the rest for after the pudding is baked.
Leave this to stand for at least an hour so that the custard is absorbed into the HC buns. You could also make this several hours in advance or the day before and keep it in the fridge until needed. Just bring it to room temperature before you bake it.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C and place the pudding into another baking tray with high sides and fill this with hot water to about halfway up the pudding dish. You are essentially baking this in a water bath/ Bain Marie. This is a better way to bake custard desserts.
Cover the hot cross bun pudding with foil (it can be loose but ensure the entire surface area is covered and bake 45 minutes – an hour. Remove from the oven and reheat the remainder of the glaze sauce and brush this over the hot pudding bun domes. Allow standing for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Storage

Cool the pudding completely before covering.
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap portions or the whole pudding tightly in cling film and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30–60 seconds until warmed through.
To reheat the whole pudding, cover with foil and warm in a 160°C (fan) oven for about 20 minutes, or until hot in the centre.

Servings: 6 -8

Author: Sam Linsell