So, before we get to the recipe, let me tell you that I have failed at every attempt to make this spectacular dessert. I saw it on a Christmas buffet dessert table about ten years ago and I have tried unsuccessfully to get it right. Even the pudding you see picture here was not made by me, but my daughter.
I am yet to successfully make a Summer Berry Pudding.
I tried to make it for you on the weekend when the weather felt like Spring. I stuffed it up when releasing the pudding from the mould. The quick solution was to retrieve all the delicious berry fruits and convert the dessert into a ‘berry crumble’, which is an apple crumble, but with berries. That was highly successful, but again I claim no credit!
I took some photos of the berry crumble and I highly recommend it! I’ll ask my daughter how she made it and I’ll post it separately as it is completely deserving of its own post.
Therefore, I challenge you all to make a Summer Berry Pudding. If you get it right, please photograph it and tell the world your secret. Meanwhile, I’ll persist and I dream that one day I will sit back with my successfully made Summer Berry Pudding and eat the whole thing with too much cream and very dark coffee.
Please send in your posts.
Summer Berry Pudding
The recent ‘taste of Spring’ days we have enjoyed has prompted me to ‘bring on Summer’ and make a fantastic Summer berry delightful dessert.
Ing.
2 punnets raspberries
2 punnets blueberries
2 punnet blackberries or gooseberries or mulberries
1 punnet strawberries, trimmed and halved
150g castor sugar (I used coconut sugar)
10 tablespoons water
1/2 loaf fresh white bread, crusts removed
Method
Wash all the berries in a colander. Put some aside for garnishing.
In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the sugar with five tablespoons water. When heated and mixed, place a cup of your berries into the pot and heat slowly, stirring for about five minutes. Add the other five table spoons water. This releases the berry colours and juice. It will smell amazing!
Turn off the heat and place all the berries into the pot, stir them through and place the lid on top. Let them rest, turning every minute or so to let the fresh berries warm a little.
In a bowl which will form your mould, line the sides with the bread slices, crusts removed. Place your first piece in the centre and try to cut the bread to fit neatly and cover all gaps, without overlapping.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop the fruit into the mould, compressing with the spoon as you layer the fruit. Save all the red berry juice that remains. We will need to use it later
Place pieces of sealing bread on the top of your fruit which will form the base of the pudding. Invert a saucer or small plate that fits the mould and press down on it to compress the pudding. Place weights on the saucer (I used two tins of tomatoes and a tin of coconut cream for weight) to keep it under pressure. Place it into the refrigerator to set.
After four or five hours, remove the weights and the saucepan, invert the mould, allowing it to come out neatly onto your presentation plate. Place it on a serving plate.
Using the coloured and flavoured juice from the pot, paint the uncoloured areas where the colour did not soak through. Run the fresh garnishing berries through the berry juice and pour the remainder over the pudding through the garnishing fruit. Don’t waste the juice, pour it on!
I added some spearmint leaves for colour. Serve with whipped cream!
Please enjoy!