Brioche pudding with nectarines

Right now I’m stuck in the innermost circle packing hell. You know how it is: not knowing where your favourite book is, an ever-present layer of dust (topsoil, this time) getting thicker with each box filled, uncertainty and detachment anxiety. I don’t think I amass things at a faster rate or greater scale than any other normal hoarding human, but the horror and ordeal of moving makes me despise my great accumulation skills.

I started hoarding food about this time last year. I didn’t do it to make myself a better singer or increase my numerical ability (those were just happy coincidences), but for fear of losing sweet fruits, grocery store forgetfulness and bargain hunting. Which leaves me with a cupboard full of random ‘essentials’ and a freezer brimming with fruit and half prepared meals.

I might throw away scraps of paper nostalgically kept ’til now, I may also give me furniture away and lend my books out, but you better believe I’m going to attempt to eat all this squirreled away food. So, from the depths of my freezer comes this:  Challah and nectarine puddings. The eggy brioche lends an extra level of richness to this baked custard, cut by the sweet nectarines and slightly bitter caramel.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I ate all of these puddings but I don’t want to say how quickly they disappeared. Makes me think that maybe I should have made them right away, rather than hoarding the ingredients and waiting months. Now, what to do with the rest of the freezer fruit and brioche?

Brioche Pudding with Nectarines
serves 4
adapted from Let her bake cake and other sources.

3 eggs
375 mL milk
125mL cream
1 vanilla pod (or substitute essence)
1/3 cup caster sugar

40g butter
40g demerera sugar
4 nectarines, de-seeded and cut into a eighths

150 – 200g day old brioche.

For the fruit:
Melt the butter in a frypan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves and is lightly caramelised. Add the fruit and cook until softened and the caramel has thickened.

Grease 4 250ml moulds and preheat the oven to 160C.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale. Heat the milk, cream, and vanilla pod in a small pan until almost boiled. Pour the heated milk over the egg mixture slowly, whisking continuously. This is supposed to help stop the custard from splitting during baking, and it sure works for me!
Cut the brioche into appropriate sizes for your moulds. Layer bread and nectarine in each mould, then top with the remaining caramel. Pour egg mixture over the bread and let stand for 10 minutes or so to allow the bread to soak up the custard.

Place moulds in a bain marie and fill with boiling water, bake for about 30 minutes or until custard is set. (check the regularly, because I must admit spaced on the timing a little bit).

Serve warm.