Summer Pudding

Summer pudding, packed with juicy fresh berries, is one of my all time favorite desserts of the summer. This pudding looks spectacular when plated, giving the impression it’s a pretty complicated recipe, but making this classically English dessert is so much easier than it looks.  It’s so easy in fact, I think it’s a perfect recipe for beginners.

The red and blue fruits of this pudding are perfectly highlighted by white serving cream, making this a perfect dessert for 4th of July celebrations.  So today I plan to make summer pudding converts of all my American readers.

When in Ireland I make this pudding using strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, and red currants. In a previous post I revealed my love of blackcurrants and my disappointment upon finding they are actually illegal to grow in some parts of America.   Once I discovered currants are not grown in all states, and therefore not readily available, I substituted blueberries for the red and black currants in my summer pudding recipe.

And always remember, if you can’t get your hands on enough fresh fruit, this pudding is just as delicious when made using frozen fruit. If you don’t have a pudding bowl you can make it in a loaf tin – no need to be fussy. Individual ramekins look really attractive too.

This pudding looks very impressive, and can be made ahead, so it’s a really a great dinner party dessert.  I often imagine the gentry of Downton Abbey enjoying a little summer pudding in July.

And so here’s my recipe…..

Ingredients:

• 16 oz fresh strawberries (2/3 of a container for the pudding and the remainder to garnish)
• 6 oz fresh blackberries
• 12 oz fresh raspberries
• 4 oz fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 10 medium slices white bread (day old bread is best)

The first step involves bringing out the juices from the fruits. Add the sugar and water to a large saucepan over gentle heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and allow the syrup to simmer for 1 minute.

Add the raspberries, blackberries and blueberries to the syrup and reduce the heat to low. Some summer pudding cooks like to heat the strawberries too, but I find they turn too mushy when simmered. I recommend not cooking the strawberries.

Cook the fruit for 3 minutes, stirring the mixture gently a few times, being careful not to break up the fruit. Shaking the saucepan works well to prevent sticking, but you do need to stir a little to cover the fruit in sugar syrup to draw out the juices.

Remove the fruit from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Strain the fruit using a sieve over a large bowl.

The next step involves preparing the bread to line the sides of the pudding bowl.  I use a 1.5 quart pudding bowl for this recipe.  I find a country white bread is best, but you can use whole wheat bread or brioche.

• First remove the crusts from all the slices of bread.
• The sides require 4 slices of bread cut in half on a slight diagonal.
• 3 circles of bread are required for the bottom of the bowl, the middle of the pudding and to cover the base.
• Use the bowl to cut a circle the size of the small end of the bowl from one slice of bread.
• Place 2 slices of bread side by side, and use a saucer to cut two semi-circles.  This will be the circle for the middle of the pudding.
• Place 2 slices of bread side by side with another one perpendicular, and cut a circle the size of the large open end of the bowl.

• First, take the smallest circle of bread and dip it into the fruit juices to coat it. Place it at the very bottom of the pudding bowl.
• Next dip the triangular side pieces into the juice. Line the sides of the bowl by slightly overlapping the bread pieces.
• Add the sliced strawberries to the fruit mixture.
• Spoon one third of the fruit into the bowl.
• Dip the smaller two semi-circular bread pieces into the fruit juice. Place them over the first layer of fruit.

I hope you enjoy this pudding as much as I do – it truly is a taste of summer.

Here is the printable recipe:

Summer Pudding

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Serves	8
Prep time	1 hour
Cook time	10 minutes
Total time	1 hour, 10 minutes
Meal type	Dessert
Region	British

Ingredients

• 16oz fresh strawberries (2/3 of a container for the pudding and the remainder to garnish)
• 6oz fresh blackberries
• 12oz fresh raspberries
• 4oz fresh blueberries
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 10 medium slices white bread (day old bread is best)

Directions

Step 1	Add the sugar and water to a large saucepan over gentle heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and allow the syrup to simmer for 1 minute
Step 2	Add the raspberries, blackberries and blueberries to the syrup and reduce the heat to low. Do not cook the strawberries. Cook the fruit for 3 minutes, stirring the mixture gently a few times, being careful not to break up the fruit.
Step 3	Remove the fruit from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Strain the fruit using a sieve over a large bowl.
Step 4	Remove the crusts from the slices of bread. Cut 4 pieces of bread in half on a slight diagonal. Place 2 slices of bread side by side, and another above them. Place the 1.5 quart pudding bowl upside down over the slices of bread and cut around the circumference to create two semi-circles of bread, plus an additional crescent.
Step 5	Take another two slices of bread and use a saucer, smaller than the circumference of the bowl, to cut an additional two semi-circles for the middle of the pudding. Cut a smaller circle from the last slice of bread.
Step 6	Use 2 x 20 inch sheets of plastic wrap to line a 1.5 quart pudding bowl, allowing the excess film to hang over the sides of the bowl.
Step 7	Take the smallest circle of bread and dip it into the fruit juices to coat it. Place it at the very bottom of the pudding bowl. Next dip the triangular side pieces into the juice. Line the sides of the bowl by slightly overlapping the bread pieces.
Step 8	Add the sliced strawberries to the fruit mixture. Spoon one third of the fruit into the bowl. Dip the smaller two semi-circular bread pieces into the fruit juice. Place them over the first layer of fruit.
Step 9	Add the remainder of the fruit to the pudding bowl. Soak the larger semi-circles of bread in the juice and place them over the fruit in the bowl. Reserve the excess juice in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Step 10	Bring the cling film up and over the bottom of the pudding. Place a smaller plate or saucer on top of the pudding and weigh it down with cans, or another bowl.
Step 11	Chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Step 12	To remove the pudding for serving, open out the saran wrap. Place a serving plate upside-down on top and flip the pudding over. Remove the saran wrap. Decorate with the additional strawberries and any other fruit of choice. Serve slices of the pudding with leftover juice, and cream.

Slán agus beannacht, 

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom