{ mini blush orange bread & butter puddings }

I've been on a bit of a bread making mission just lately.  I think it's the therapeutic nature of the time spent kneading the dough that I like, more than actually needing a new loaf of bread baked each day.  Consequently I find myself with more bread than I could possibly eat, and one particular sorry looking, slightly overdone, now going slightly stale loaf.  As I hate wasting things, particularly food, I started wondering what use I could find for this.  The more mundane thought of blitzing the whole lot for breadcrumbs for the freezer was pushed to one side, in favour of a more indulgent bread & butter pudding;  indulgent, but made mini sized, which just so happens to be this months theme for Bumpkin Betty's baking club { coincidence, I think not ! }.

To further aid my 'Love Food Hate Waste' mantra, I spotted a lonesome blush orange in the fruit bowl, and thought how lovely it would be to include this - think marmalade on toast, in pudding format!

This is the perfect way to use up odds and ends of many baked goods, as croissants & brioche also work beautifully in bread & butter puddings too.  These mini versions are baked in a cupcake tin, making perfect individual sized portions, perfect if you are still trying to maintain a little restraint after Xmas indulgences.

Please forgive the slightly less than gorgeous 'after' images.  I'd left it a little too late in the day to start & the best of the light had gone by the time they'd baked.  And I promise it had nothing to do with the fact I couldn't resist tasting one { or two } as soon as they came out of the oven.  No, absolutely nothing to do with that at all!

Is there anything better than a proper pudding on a grey & rainy day?  And the fact that it's mini sized makes me feel just a little bit better about drowning it in a proper homemade, creamy, vanilla flecked custard.

If you would like to take a look at this month's other mini bakes, pop on over to Bumpkin Betty's Facebook page, where you can also sign up & join in the baking { and eating } fun.

{ have a happy day }