Hot Cross Bun Easter Trifle

In a large bowl whisk together corn flour, salt, sugar and eggs yolk and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Set aside.

Combine milk and Vanilla Bean Paste in a large saucepan over a low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer. Slowly pour in hot milk mixture into egg mixture half a cup at a time until all the milk has been added. Pour back into saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened and starts to boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute before removing from the heat.

Strain mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl, place cling wrap directly over custard and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Add butter and mix to incorporate. Cover custard again and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 180C (fan forced). In a medium saucepan over a low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, water and Vanilla Bean Paste. Stir until butter has melted. Remove from heat.

Peel pears and cut in half, remove core with a melon baller or a spoon. Coat each half in the butter mixture as they are peeled and cut, to help prevent browning. Place pears, cut side down onto a lipped baking tray. Pour any remaining butter mixture over the pears. Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes until fork tender, basting pears with pan juices every 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Cut 8 of the hot cross buns into large cubes and place half in the bottom of a standard 3L trifle bowl. Pour caramel remaining from caramelised pears over the buns reserving two tablespoons to drizzle over top of trifle. Sprinkle over ½ of the roasted hazelnuts. Place pears around the outside on the trifle bowl.

Spoon in half of the custard and add another layer of buns. Add remaining hazelnuts and top with remaining custard. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

To serve, whip cream, icing sugar and Vanilla Bean Paste to firm peaks. Spoon into trifle bowl and top with the last 2 hot cross buns cut into large cubes. Drizzle over the last of the caramel from the pears and serve.