Nigella Lawson has revealed her latest recipe – a ‘So-Wrong-It’s Right Bread and Butter Pudding’ – made with cheese triangles. Nigella’s take on the family-friendly classic, created in partnership with Ocado, sees an unusual addition to the classic pudding… Laughing Cow cheese.
The iconic cheese brand, founded in France in 1921 – where it’s known as “La Vache Qui Rit” – has been popular in family households and lunchboxes for almost a century, but this may be its first appearance in a dessert. Nigella says the addition of Laughing Cow gives a delicious “cheesecakey smoothness” in every melting mouthful
Aside from the Laughing Cow cheese, the remaining ingredients are just as simple and budget-friendly. This is not a bread and butter pudding formed on a base of buttery brioche, but instead a simple sliced white bread.
“The thing is, when I was a kid, getting a triangle or a little cube of Laughing Cow was the greatest treat imaginable; and even now, so many years later, a Laughing Cow sandwich made from basic white slices is I go for when I want instant comfort. It occurred to me a while ago that this could be the basis of a bread and butter pudding, and I’m happy to report that I was not wrong! Aside from the addition of Laughing Cow , this is a take that ignores the rules (some of which I’ve issued myself over the years) and finesse of a proper, traditional B&B Pud but I have no regrets: meltingly soft beneath its sugary crunchy top, this bread and butter pudding has a delicate cheesecake-y seaweed and transforms everyday ingredients into a simple and easy-to-deliver treat.”
Laura Harricks, Chief Customer Officer for Ocado Retail said: “Looking at what our customers are buying and looking for, it’s clear that it’s officially pudding season. Many of us are craving cozy dishes that feel comforting and familiar, and Nigella’s latest recipe on Ocado is the epitome of this – but of course with one of her iconic twists.Although the addition of cheese is controversial, over a third of our customers said they think everything is better with cheese – and I can’t say that I disagree with that sentiment! With just a handful of basic ingredients, this bread and pudding is a simple yet elevated, low-cost recipe that’s perfect for a winter pick-me-up!”
NIGELLA’S “SO-WRONG-IT’S RIGHT BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING” – FULL RECIPE
“I know the rules that govern a bread-and-butter pudding, but this one obeys none of them – and without regret. This is the bread-and-butter pudding of my early childhood, the one I ate at my grandmother’s: soft, squidgy and Immediately!
“When I was a kid, the Laughing Cow – then going by just its French name, La Vache Qui Rit – was the best of treats. I’ll admit, though, that these sandwiches don’t sound like they belong in a bread-and-butter pudding, but I promise you, any doubts you have will be dispelled by the first melt-in-your-mouth bite, which gives just the faintest hint of cheesecake softness in the center.”
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Nigella’s tip: Allow 10 minutes extra time for soaking and 10 minutes for the pudding to stand before serving.
Ingredients
- 6 slices Hovis Medium Sliced soft white bread from an 800g loaf
- 6 triangles Laughing Cow Original Spread
- 50 g Tate & Lyle caster sugar plus 1 tsp
- 1 small unwaxed lemon, finely grated rind
- 30g Ocado Own Range unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for spreading
- 4 Clarence Court Burford brown large eggs (not refrigerated)
- 2½ tsp Nielsen Massey pure vanilla extract
- 500 ml Ocado Own Range whole organic milk (not chilled-cold)
- 2½ tsp Tate & Lyle Demerara sugar
- 4 tsp (approx) Lyle’s Squeezy Golden Syrup, to serve (optional)
1. Spread each slice of bread with a Laughing Cow triangle. Take 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, sprinkle lightly over 3 of the spread slices (in other words, use a third of a teaspoon per slice) and then divide the lemon zest between the same 3 pieces of bread, sprinkling it over each sugar-sprinkled slice.
2. Top these slices with the ones that only have Laughing Cow on them and spread the softened butter on top of each sandwich, using a little extra butter to grease an oval baking dish (mine is 28cm long, with a capacity of about 1½ litres, but you can go a little smaller). Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles and arrange them in the buttered tin. I tend to go for a slightly snarky piggledy approach, placing some sandwiches crust-down, some crust-up, but it’s really just a matter of choice (and temperament).
3. Crack the 4 eggs into a wide measuring jug, add the vanilla and 50g sugar and whisk together by hand to combine and aerate. Now, whisk more gently, pour in the milk and when it’s all combined pour over the sandwiches in their dish.
4. Heat the oven to 180ºC/160º fan/gas 4 and leave the pudding to rise for about 10 minutes or as long as it takes the oven to reach temperature, pour custard over the slices from time to time
and again while you wait.
5. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, then the custard is just set and puffed up, and the top is light yellow.
6. Leave for 10 minutes before serving, drizzling a little golden syrup over each bowl, if desired.
