Kir croissant pudding

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.

Heat together the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, place the yolks and sugar in a bowl. Whisk vigorously until thick and creamy.

Add the boiling milk to the yolks, mixing well as you do so.

Pour the milk mixture to a clean pan. Gently cook it over a very low heat, stirring the milk mixture continuously with a wooden spatula. Do not bring to the boil or the mixture will curdle. Cook stirring until the mixture thickens into a custard or crème Anglaise and clings to the spatula. Strain through a fine sieve.

Layer the sliced croissants and orange slices in a buttered ovenproof dish.

Pour over the crème Anglaise. Drizzle over the kir.

Bake the pudding for 40 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with icing sugar and grill or glaze with a cook's blow-torch until the sugar caramelises. Serve.