This is yet another post inspired by my friend Jenty (no, much as it may seem like it, I’m really not stalking her, we just talk about cooking quite a lot these days). Anyways, she was looking to buy a new cookbook the other day, and I persuaded her to get Nigella Express because I think it is the most fabulous book imaginable if you are a busy working mom, which she is. Frankly, anyone that can write a recipe that gets a sumptuous dinner cooked in under 10 minutes, and the gorgeous goddess, Ms Lawson, really can, deserves to have her books sit in the kitchen of every person with so much as a salt cellar. They should be de rigeur; when you kit out your kitchen you should buy a stove, a fridge and at least one of her books!
Anyway, my little gush aside, this is the first recipe that Jenty cooked and is, conincidently, the first recipe I saw Nigella cook on the Nigella Express TV program, which is what inspired my interest in the book in the first place. And if you like croissants, and seriously, who doesn’t, then this ones for you too…
| 2 stale croissants |
| 100g caster sugar |
| 2 x 15ml tablespoons water |
| 125ml double cream |
| 125ml full-fat milk |
| 2 x 15ml tablespoons bourbon |
| 2 eggs, beaten |
Serving Size : Serves 2 greedy people
METHOD
| 1. | Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. |
| 2. | Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish; I use a cast iron oval one with a capacity of about 500ml for this. |
| 3. | Put the caster sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the hob over a medium to high heat. |
| 4. | Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away, without stirring, until it all turns a deep amber colour; this will take 3–5 minutes. Keep looking but don’t be too timid. |
| 5. | Turn heat down to low and add the cream – ignoring all spluttering – and, whisking away, the milk and bourbon. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs. |
| 6. | Pour the caramel bourbon custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes if the croissants are very stale. |
| 7. | Place in the oven for 20 minutes and prepare to swoon. |
ADDITIONAL INFO
If you don’t have any bourbon in the house, first may I say, please consider it, and second, replace it, rather, with rum; Scotch whisky may seem the obvious substitute but it would be the wrong one I feel.
For more info see: http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?key=C&rid=109
Jeanette on October 7, 2009
And it was very yummy, even though I didn’t use the bourbon ‘cos of the kids
Annamarie on October 8, 2009
Sounds really yummy! Also saw Nigella cook this on her programme (which btw I absolutely love watching!) Definitely gonna get her book as I am too lazy to write down her recipes while watching and can never remember the detail afterwards!