Summer Pudding - A Great Dessert

How to Make a Summer Pudding

Ingredients
1 quart (535g) fresh mixed berries, eg raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants, blackcurrents, blackberries
1-1/4 cup (250g) white sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tbs cold water
6 slices of good quality white bread
Whipped heavy (double) cream to serve

Picture above: A Summer Pudding
Copyright © Dichohecho - Creative Commons License

Method
1. Put the berries, water and about half the sugar in a pan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat. Taste and if it is not sweet enough, add more sugar until you have it at the sweetness you like. Don't let the berries turn to mush - you want them to be recognisable.
2. Cut the crusts off the bread and line a quart bowl or dish with 5 slices. The slices should rise above the top of the bowl. Keep the 6th slice unused for now.
3. Pour the berries and juice into the bowl. You should have slices overlapping the top of the bowl, fold them over first and the last slice should go on top of those so the fruit is completely covered.
4. Cover the top of the dessert with plastic wrap and put a heavy weight on it (canned beans, maybe), put the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
5. To serve: remove plastic wrap, put a plate on top of the bowl and tip over both so the pudding is displayed on the plate - see the picture at the top of the page. Serve with whipped cream.

It's important that you use a good quality bread for Summer Pudding. It has to soak up the juice from the fruit so it needs to be absorbent. If the bread isn't completely saturated, it doesn't look so good, nor does it taste as delicious as it should.

If you use very cheap sliced bread, the texture can be unpleasant and sloppy. It's much better to use a bread that can take the juice without becoming slimy.

Ready sliced bread isn't essential for this recipe. You can buy an uncut loaf like these in the picture, and cut 6 slices off yourself. They should be relatively thin slices, just thick enough to hold together when you turn out the dessert on a plate.