Fig Bread and Butter Pudding

For my good friend Sharilyn. (sourced from archives on the net)

 

 

Ingredients

200g/7oz butter
1 ready-made brioche loaf, sliced
200g/7oz Demerara sugar, plus icing sugar for sugaring the dish
150g/5oz figs, halved, soaked in brandy for at least one hour (preferably overnight)
500ml/17fl oz double cream, plus extra to serve
3 free-range eggs, beaten
3 free-range egg yolks, beaten
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
100g/3½oz caster sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Butter the brioche slices generously, then cut the slices in half diagonally to create triangles.
3. Grease a 30cm x 20cm/12in x 8in ovenproof dish, then sprinkle with a little Demerara sugar. Place the brioche slices into the dish so that they fit together snugly, layering until you have added all of the brioche.
4. Sprinkle over half of the Demerara sugar, then add the figs. Finish by sprinkling over the remaining Demerara sugar.
5. Place the cream into a saucepan and place over a medium heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat.
6. Place the beaten eggs and egg yolks into a large heatproof bowl. Gradually add the hot cream, whisking constantly.
7. Add the vanilla seeds and caster sugar and stir to mix well.
8. Carefully pour the cream mixture over the brioche slices, until the dish is almost full, then leave to stand for at least 30 minutes.
9. Place the pudding dish into a large roasting tin, as deep as the pudding dish. Add water to the roasting tin until it is halfway up the sides of the pudding dish, then carefully place into the oven to bake for 40 minutes, or until the custard sets.
8. Serve in the dish at the table dusted with icing sugar and with double cream poured over.