PEAR & WALNUT BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

If you are not a nutty person substitute juicy raisins, or copped up ready to eat prunes. Toss them in the passionfruit juice with the pears. A couple of tablespoons of Pear Schnapps added to the custard mix add a nice oomph!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

8 rounds of bread and butter - Raisin bread is good - stale even better!
2 large pears
100g walnuts broken up
Juice of 3 passionfruit
2 tbsp. Demerara sugar or coffee sugar granules
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, or milled star anise
2 eggs
300 mls. single cream

Method:

1. Butter an ovenproof dish and line with the bread and butter.
2. Peel and slice the pears and toss in the passionfruit juice.
3. Mix the cinnamon with the sugar.
4. Shake any excess juice off the pears and put a layer of the fruit over the first layer of bread and butter and sprinkle with the some walnuts and sugar mix. Put a layer of bread and butter on top and then more fruit and nuts.
5. Beat the cream, passionfruit juice and eggs together. Pour over the pudding and sprinkle over more sugar mix. Allow to stand for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

To cook

• AGA: Cook on the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven for 20-30 minutes.  If it is browning too quickly, put the cold shelf above. Or cook at the top of the baking oven for a little longer.
• Electric: Cook in the fan oven at 160°c (Gas mark 5) for 30- 40 minutes