Making ‘Mákos guba’ is much tastier from the old favorite stale croissant, as it can absorb the milk better. Making poppy seed bread pudding is very simple, and you don’t even need any special skills for it; the delicacy is ready in moments. Of course, if it’s not a priority for the recipe to be easy, you can replace the croissant with sweet yeast dough. However, if you don’t feel like it, go for the simpler solution.
Since poppy seeds symbolize prosperity, they often appear on the table during major year-end celebrations such as Christmas and New Year’s in many families, for example, in the form of poppy seed bread pudding, which pairs best with vanilla custard or good-quality jam.
If you plan to serve this traditional dessert at the end of the festive dinner, it’s worth layering the pudding in a buttered baking dish, drizzling it with a few tablespoons of honey, and placing it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10-20 minutes; it will be even tastier that way. Serve the vanilla custard in a sauceboat so that everyone can drizzle the dessert according to their taste.
Ingredients
For 4 servings
For the bread pudding:
– 6 pieces of croissants
– 200g poppy seeds
– 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
– 6 dl milk
– 3 egg yolks
– 2 packages vanilla sugar
For the vanilla custard:
– 2 egg yolks
– 2 packages vanilla sugar
– 5 dl milk
– 1 tablespoon flour
For serving:
– Powdered sugar to taste
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Instructions
Bread Pudding:
1. Slice the croissants into rounds and set aside.
2. Mix the poppy seeds and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar together.
3. Start heating the milk. Meanwhile, mix the 3 egg yolks with the 2 packages of vanilla sugar, then add them to the warm milk. Continue heating, being careful not to let it boil.
4. Take a baking dish or a large bowl, place a layer of sliced croissants, and drizzle them with milk according to taste (divide the quantity in your mind since you need to layer the croissants, ensuring that there’s enough milk for each layer). Sprinkle poppy seeds with powdered sugar on top according to taste (be mindful of sprinkling the poppy seeds, just like with the milk). Continue layering until all croissants are used, making sure that there’s plenty of powdered sugar poppy seed mixture on top of the pastry.
Vanilla Custard:
1. Mix the egg yolks with vanilla sugar, then add the flour. Mix it into a lump-free consistency with a little milk (about 1 deciliter).
2. Bring the remaining milk to a boil. Add the egg yolk mixture while stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, ensuring a smooth, lump-free consistency.
Serving:
Sprinkle the bread pudding with powdered sugar and serve it with the vanilla custard.
