Spiced rum pain perdu with lime and white chocolate whipped ganache
This is a showstopper dessert with four different elements to show off a variety of cooking skills. You will need a piping bag with a small nozzle.
Ingredients
For the spiced rum pain perdu
- 40ml/1¾fl oz double cream
- 240ml/8¾fl oz full-fat milk
- 4 free-range eggs
- 50ml/2fl oz dark rum
- 1 vanilla pod, scraped (reserve the pod for the pear below)
- 1 brioche loaf, crusts removed and cut into 3cm/1¼in thick slices
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú mixed spice, for dusting
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú butter
For the lime and white chocolate whipped ganache
- 50ml/2fl oz lime juice
- 25g/1oz liquid glucose
- 140g/5oz white chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 250ml/9fl oz whipping cream
- 1 kaffir lime, zest only, to garnish
For the rum-soaked pear
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 100ml/3½fl oz maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla pod (use the scraped pod from the pain perdu)
- 1 lime, cut into 8 pieces
- 100ml/3½fl oz dark rum
- 1 pear, halved, cored and cut into even strips
For the spiced flapjack
- 110g/3¾oz jumbo oats
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 110g/3¾oz unsalted butter
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú demerara sugar
- 55g/2oz golden syrup
- pinch sea salt
Method
To make the pain perdu, preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking paper, ensuring there is a slight overhang. Whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, rum and vanilla seeds in a bowl.
Place the first layer of brioche slices in the loaf tin, ensuring the bread is really well packed in – trim where necessary to fit snugly. Using a ladle, cover the first layer of brioche with some of the cream mixture. Add enough liquid to soak into the brioche. Once covered, dust a thin layer of mixed spice over the top then add the next layer of brioche. Cover again with the cream mixture and a dusting of mixed spice. Repeat until the loaf tin is packed to the top. Wrap the top of the loaf tin with a layer of kitchen foil and place in the oven for 1 hour. Check it is set by pressing down on the top – it should have risen and feel springy to touch. If it still feels a little wet in the middle, return to the oven for a further 10–15 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes then, using a baking tray, press down on the pain perdu to compress it. Place in the fridge with something heavy on top to compress and set it. Leave to cool and set for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
When ready to serve, remove the pain perdu from the loaf tin. Place a non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Slice the pain perdu into six thick slices. Add the butter to the pan and, once it is foaming, place the pain perdu slices in the pan and cook over a gentle heat to caramelise. Once golden brown, turn over and colour on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside on some kitchen paper until ready to serve.
To make the ganache, place the lime juice and liquid glucose in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Place the white chocolate in a small bowl and pour over the hot liquid. Mix together until smooth and leave to cool. Pour the whipping cream over the mixture and mix well. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to cool and firm up a little. Once chilled, put into a mixer with a whisk attachment and whip up until light and stiff. Place in a piping bag with a small nozzle and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
To make the rum-soaked pear, place the sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla pod, lime and 200ml/7fl oz water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling and the sugar has dissolved, whisk in the rum. Place the pear in a bowl and pour over the hot syrup. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
To make the spiced flapjack, preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Mix together the oats and mixed spice in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the butter, sugar and golden syrup to the boil and pour over the oats. Mix well and add the salt. Pour the mixture into a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread out the mixture quite thinly. Bake for 8–10 minutes until golden and starting to go crispy. Leave to cool and reserve in an airtight container until ready to use.
To serve, place the caramelised pain perdu on a large serving platter. Pipe the lime and white chocolate whipped ganache over the top. Break the spiced flapjack into pieces and sprinkle generously over the top. Cover with slices of the rum-soaked pear and garnish with the kaffir lime zest.