No bun left behind: Hot cross butter and banana pudding

Hot cross bun butter and banana pudding. Photo / Tamara West

If your hot cross buns are getting a little tired, resurrect them with this deliciously comforting custardy bread pudding. The added flavours are up to you, here we’ve used bananas and dates but you could do a marmalade layer with chocolate dotted on top (excess Easter eggs, we’re looking at you) or maybe some stewed apple with toasty walnuts ...

• Preheat oven to 180C. Whip approximately 200g softened butter with the zest of an orange and a big glug of rum, whisky, or orange liqueur, if desired, until smooth.
• Cut hot cross buns into thick slices and butter generously. Layer into a baking dish, adding thick slices of banana between each slice.
• Heat 2 cups full-fat milk, 1 cup cream and ½ vanilla pod until almost boiling.
• Whisk together 75g caster sugar and 4 eggs, then whisk into the hot milk.
• Strain this custard over the buns in stages, allowing it to soak in each time.
• Top with a few finely chopped dates and some grated orange zest, place dish in a large roasting dish half full of hot water and bake until custard is just set, approximately 30-35 minutes.