Nigella Croissant Pudding ​​Recipe

It was one of those afternoons that felt like the inside of a cardigan—grey, stretched thin, and vaguely comforting. I wasn’t planning to bake. I wasn’t planning much at all. But there were two stale croissants sulking in the bread tin, and the cat had finally stopped yowling at birds through the window.

It just felt like pudding time.

Her Method, Softly Told

Nigella’s version is what you’d expectn,simple but slyly decadent. She tears up two croissants (the more bedraggled, the better), nestles them in a small buttered dish, and douses the lot in a whisked mix of egg, milk, a whisper of sugar, and if you’re feeling generous—a splash of bourbon.

She scatters chocolate chips across the top (or a spoon of jam, if that’s your bent), then bakes it until puffed and golden. Not brown. Golden. It makes all the difference.

Where I Went Off-Recipe

I didn’t measure the milk precisely. I poured until it felt like enough, then added a touch more when the croissants drank it up like thirsty old men. I didn’t have bourbon but found a splash of spiced rum left from December—used that, and didn’t regret it.

Instead of chocolate, I added a spoonful of blackcurrant jam that had set oddly in the jar. It melted into streaks,gorgeous.

Oh, and I used a cracked enamel dish. Could’ve used ramekins, but the thought made me tired.

What Happened in My Kitchen

It puffed beautifully, like a soft sigh. The top turned golden with darker, crisper tips. It deflated a little after I pulled it from the oven,like it knew the show was over.

The scent was glorious. Buttery, warm, with a shy whisper of booze. I spooned it into a chipped bowl and ate it with cream straight from the bottle. The radio was playing something slow and jazzy. I didn’t move for a while.

How To Make Croissant Pudding

• Warm the Oven: Let it come to 200°C while you butter a small dish that feels like home. A deep bowl, a battered tin,whatever holds the croissants close.
• Tear the Croissants: Pull them apart like pages in an old book. Nestle them in, soft sides up, crispy ends poking out like elbows.
• Whisk the Custard:In a jug, mix one egg, about 120ml of full-fat milk, half a spoon of sugar, and a splash of something warming,rum, brandy, or bourbon if you’ve got it.
• Pour and Press: Drench the torn croissants. Press them gently down with the back of a spoon until they surrender. If they lap it up too quickly, add a little more milk.
• Add the Sweet Bits: Dot with jam or scatter chocolate chips if you’re in the mood. I went with blackcurrant, thick and stubborn.
• Bake Until Golden: About 20 minutes should do. It’ll puff and darken at the edges. Let it deflate before digging in,it’s better that way.

Gentle Kitchen Wisdom

• Don’t skip the booze, if you have it,it warms more than just the pudding.
• If it sinks in the middle, just call it rustic. No one minds.
• Jam makes pockets of surprise sweetness. I liked that more than I thought I would.

Keeping the Leftovers

If you have any (unlikely), cover the dish and keep it in the fridge. It’s lovely cold, surprisingly. Or reheat gently, covered, with a splash of milk to soften it back to life.

Try More Nigella Lawson Recipes:

• Nigella Semolina Pudding
• Nigella Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Nigella Summer Pudding