caramel croissant pudding

This is quite possibly one of the best desserts you can ever eat.

Big call?

Then you'll just have to trust me.

And it's the perfect heart-warming dessert for those in a deep northern winter.

Caramel Croissant Pudding

Recipe by Nigella Lawson. Serves 2 greedy people.

Ingredients:
2 stale croissants
100g caster sugar
30ml water
125ml double cream
125ml full-fat milk
30ml bourbon
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup dulce de leche

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

2. Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish; I use a cast iron oval one with a capacity of about 500ml for this.

3. Put the caster sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the hob over a medium to high heat.

4. Caramelise the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away, without stirring, until it all turns a deep amber colour; this will take 3–5 minutes. Keep looking but don’t be too timid.

5. Turn heat down to low and add the cream – ignoring all spluttering – and, whisking away, the milk and bourbon. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs.

6. Pour the caramel bourbon custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes if the croissants are very stale.

7. Dot croissants with blobs of dulce ce leche.

8. Place in the oven for 20 minutes and prepare to swoon.

Note: If you don’t have any bourbon in the house substitute with rum (not Scotch whisky).