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 for Summer Pudding:
Here’s a quick list of what you’ll need. Check the printable recipe near the bottom of this post for US and Metric equivalent measurements. You can choose the best version for you.
- fresh strawberries (some for the pudding and the remainder to garnish)
- fresh blackberries
- fresh raspberries
- fresh blueberries
- sugar
- water
- slices white bread (day old bread is best)
Directions for Summer Pudding:
Here you’ll find step-by-step photographic instructions for creating your own summer pudding.
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.
Use 2 x 20 inch sheets of plastic film to line a 1.5 quart pudding bowl, allowing the excess film to hang over the sides of the bowl. I find it’s easier to use two pieces of plastic wrap rather than trying to get one large piece to fit into the bowl. Without the plastic wrap the pudding may end up sticking to the basin. Nobody wants a messy heap on plate when serving. I like to soak dip the bread pieces in the juices as I assemble the pudding. It prevents white patches of bread with no juice in the finished pudding.
Note: A reader let me know his finished pudding would not hold its shape, even when chilled overnight. He may have oversoaked the bread pieces. The goal of dipping the bread pieces is to color them red, so only dip them long enough to get an even color on the outer surface of each piece. Saturating the bread will result in a wobbly pudding.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Sometimes I just place another bowl filled with water on top.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
- 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 left over strawberries or any other 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
Ingredients
- 16 ounces strawberries fresh berries - 2/3 for the pudding and the remainder to garnish
- 6 ounces blackberries fresh berries
- 12 ounces raspberries fresh berries
- 4 ounces blueberries fresh berries
- ¾ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 10 slices white bread day old bread is best
Instructions
- 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. 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.
- Remove the fruit from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Strain the fruit using a sieve over a large bowl.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
- 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.
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Happy no-bake cooking from my home to yours.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
Here are some other recipes you might enjoy…
Blueberry Scones
Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cake
Mini Pavlovas
Happy Independence day, Mairead, and a reminder to all to reacquaint ourselves with the documents that uphold our freedom from kings, dictators, and tyrants. Oh and have a really good burger and a portion of red white and blue pudding.
Cheers,
Brian.
Happy 4th of July to you too Brian. The documents that uphold our freedom were crafted with such insight, and today of all days is the perfect day to reacquaint ourselves with their tenets. Hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
My mouth was watering looking at your photos! Very 4th of July dessert! Thanks Mairead!
Hope you have a lovely 4th of July, Debra.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Looks lovely and so easy. Thanks for another great recipe.
Sinead – This dessert is one of the easiest ever to produce such elegant looking results. A definite crowd pleaser for dinner get togethers.
All the best,
Mairéad
went berry picking and then used the berries for this pudding 🙂 Thank you for the great recipe, it was delicious
Kassandra – I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. It is so simple, but usually a great success. Thanks for stopping by and letting us know you gave this little taste of Ireland and England a big thumbs up. Thanks also for linking to my recipe from your webpage. Your berry picking photos are wonderful.
All the best,
Mairéad
Beautiful! It’s been ages since I’ve made a summer pudding – must remedy that soon! Few people make one so pretty as yours, but with your detailed instructions perhaps more will.
Thanks Jean. I really thing the trick to making a summer pudding that stands up well is not to over soak the bread. I hope this post helps introduce this simple, but delicious English dessert to some of my American readers.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
This was wonderful!
Denis – glad you enjoyed this little taste of summer.
All the best,
Mairead
This dessert looks lovely and a great way to use up older bread.
Hi Sheila – This is a very old recipe from Ireland and England. It was probably created for the very purpose of using up bread that was going stale. Years ago food was seldom thrown away, and recipes revolved around using up everything before it went off. Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad