Orange Bread Pudding

I've always thought that bread puddings were just soggy breads.... Until I tasted one few months back at Delicious cafe Midvalley Megamall. It was a croissant topped one, with hints of orange marmalade, served with I forgot what sauce. It was lovely. Actually that was my first bread pudding :)

So, I came back, tried to search online for a proper orange bread pudding recipe... I don't want to use marmalade, but orange juice.
But none!!! I found none!!!!

I came up with the recipe, and Mike says "Thumbs up". Better than Delicious. :) *Disclaimer: It's a matter of personal taste, u may think that Delicious is better*

Here are a few shots of them in different containers... Sometimes my pics are so good(IMO) that I don't know which one to take...

And here's one... naked :)

Here the recipe goes

300gm bread, crust removed, cubed (I bought one English loaf from Baker’s Cottage, was 380gm before removing crust)

70gm butter, melted
1 heaped Tbsp orange zest
180ml orange juice
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites (it’s ok if it’s got yolk streaks in it)
200ml whipping cream
2 cups milk
130gm sugar
10 mini croissants (U can get them from King’s bakery)

Instructions

1. Prepare ten 6-oz ramekins. Lightly brush them with melted butter.

2. Pour remaining melted butter gradually over cubed bread and toss. Sprinkle in orange zest and toss lightly. Set aside

3. Heat milk with sugar until sugar melts. Remove from heat and stir in cream.

4. Combine egg yolks with orange juice. Stir. Combine with egg whites. Pour egg mixture into warm milk mixture.

5. Place one layer of bread cubes into ramekins. Sprinkle on some cranberries .

6. Pour custard mixture (4) into ramekins until it covers the bread. Let it sit for a minute. Pour more until it covers the bread again.

7. Put another layer of bread cubes and put on more custard mixture until it totally covers the bread cubes. Let it sit for a minute. The custard mixture should’ve been absorbed by now.

8. Put in some more custard mixture until it covers the bread .

9. Snip mini croissants and arrange them over the bread cubes. Lightly press them. Let the croissants sit for 2 minutes, adding more custard mixture through any crevices if u see it getting dry. Let it soak soak soak.

10. When the croissants don’t seem to be absorbing any more liquid, bake it in a preheated oven at 160C for 30-40 minutes in a waterbath.

Serve the warm bread puddings with yummy orange ice cream made from the remaining custard mixture. Just cook the custard until it coats the back of ur spoon, leave to cool down and freeze til firm.

The Bountiful Bake, and it wasn't enough to go around.

Keep them chilled if not consumed immediately. Warm up in preheated oven to get a nice crunchy top, or serve cold if u prefer.