brioche and berry bread pudding with lemon fondant

butter, room temperature
4 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for dusting and topping
4 large slices brioche bread
2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries),
 plus more for garnish

lemon fondant:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 lemons, zested and juiced

directions
butter and sugar 6 (6-ounce) ramekins. i used a med size baking
dish to make one large one.
in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla extract,
lemon zest, and sugar. combine well with a whisk - then let it settle so there
are no air bubbles on the surface otherwise these will cause lumps in your anglaise.

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
tear the brioche up into large pieces using your hands, add to the custard mixture and toss to combine. Equally divide the berries among the ramekins and top with the bread mixture. gently press down so they are packed evenly. sprinkle with more sugar, then refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to let soak.


bake for 25 minutes in the center of the oven. the pudding is ready when it has puffed up and the custard is set. the top should be a nice golden color. remove and allow to cool slightly.

make the fondant. In a mixing bowl combine sifted powdered sugar, water, lemon zest and juice.

once the pudding has cooled slightly, invert onto an individual serving plate. drizzle the lemon fondant over warm bread pudding and serve with extra fresh berries.