Red Bush Chai Tea Bread & Butter Pudding

Ingredients 

3 free range eggs

75g castor sugar

1 tbsp demerara sugar (for the top)

600ml full fat milk

4 x red bush chai teabags

150ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

300g brioche loaf

75g good quality unsalted butter – melted to be used for greasing

100g raisins and sultanas soaked in 100ml of water with 1 red bush chai teabag

15 – 20 blackberries

1 punnet of blueberries

75g white chocolate 

Method

Soak the raisins and sultanas in the water with 1 teabag overnight. Gently heat the milk with the remaining 3 tea bags in, bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Bake the white chocolate in the oven at 165C / 325F for 15 minutes. Open the oven every 5 minutes and give the chocolate a quick stir. After 5 minutes or when brown, take out and allow to cool, crumble into pieces. Keep aside. Melt the butter and grease the serving dish (approx. 30cm x 20cm) with melted butter. Slice the brioche into 1cm thick slices and brush each side with the melted butter and layer into the dish.

Drain the raisins and sultanas and layer the brioche slices into the dish and scatter the raisins, sultanas, blueberries and blackberries between the layers and over the top of the brioche. Make the custard by whisking the eggs, cream, cold milk and castor sugar together. Pour the custard evenly over the brioche, you want it to come up to the top of the dish

Allow to stand for 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 180C / 350FSprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the pudding. Cook the pudding in a ban Marie at 180C / 350F for 40-50 minutes or until the custard is cooked, the top browned and crispy. When cooked, sprinkle over the white chocolate and serve with a pouring cream or dollop of mascarpone.