Summer Pudding
Use a soft, but dense, less porous bread (like a potato or egg bread) for this dessert. While red currants are recommended in the original recipe, a combination of summer berries will do. Allow at least 12 or up to 24 hours for berry juices to fully absorb before unmolding. It’s worth the wait, the end result tasting like a rich, juicy berry shortcake.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. mixed fresh summer berries strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Juice of one orange
- 8 to 12 as needed slices of white bread depending on the size, crusts trimmed
- extra berries for decorating
Instructions
- You will need a pudding mold or domed bowl with a 4-cup capacity. Line the bowl with plastic wrap with extra length hanging over the sides of the outside of the bowl.
- Toss the fruit with the sugar and orange juice. (Note: you can allow this to steep and macerate overnight to draw out more juices). In a large saucepan, cook very gently until the fruit is soft and broken up. Allow the fruit to cool.
- Line the pudding bowl with slices of white bread; this is easier if the bread is cut into fingers.
- Lift some of the cooked fruit out of the saucepan with a slotted spoon and fill it halfway up the bread-lined bowl. Cut a piece of bread to fit on top of the fruit layer.
- Add the rest of the fruit. Cover the top of the bowl with one or two slices of bread, trimming side pieces as needed. Spoon enough juice over to cover the pudding then soak it down the sides. Save back some of the juice to add to the finished pudding. Bring the plastic wrap hanging over the edges to cover the top.
- Put a plate over the pudding and press it down, keeping the plate secured with a weight (something heavy, like canned goods, etc.). Refrigerate the pudding for at least 12 hours.
- When ready to serve, bring the pudding to room temperature, undo the plastic wrap covering the top, turn it out onto a serving plate and spoon the extra juice over any unsoaked bread so that all is evenly saturated.
- Serve with fresh pouring cream or whipped cream.
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