Berry Bread Puddings

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Wash apples, pat dry, decore and chop flesh into small pieces about 1cm in size. Leave the skin on.
3. Place the apple pieces in a microwave-proof bowl, add lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Combine well. Add a dob of butter. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Drain but reserve the liquid.
4. Add the berries to the cooked apple and mix well.
5. Take 4 slices of bread and place your chosen cooking ramekin upside down in the centre of each. Using a sharp knife, cut a circle around the outside. Keep the crusts and other leftover bread as you will use them to make sweet croutons to serve with the pudding
6. In a small saucepan, melt butter and add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well until sugar has combined with the butter into a sauce, then remove from heat.
7. Take the 4 remaining slices of bread (crusts on) and brush one side of each slice generously with the cinnamon butter mix. Place buttered-side down into a ramekin, pushing it down so it fits against the sides. Add spoonfuls of the apples and berries to the ramekins. Brush one side of the bread circles that you cut earlier with the cinnamon butter then place on the ramekin, buttered-side facing up.
8.  Bake for 25 minutes.
9. While the puddings are baking, chop up the reserved bread crusts and leftovers and mix well with any remaining cinnamon butter and 1 tablespoon of the reserved stewed apple liquid. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven at the same time as the puddings. Stir every now and then but keep an eye on these as they will brown quickly. They should take about 5 – 15 minutes cooking time, depending on how small you cut them.
10. Serve your puddings in the ramekin, or upside down on a side plate. To do so, gently run a knife around the inside of the ramekin to loosen. Place a side plate over the ramekin and gently flip.
11. Serve with leftover berries, sweet croutons a and scoop of ice cream if you choose.