English Summer Puddings Recipes

SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Bring out the juices: Wash fruit and gently dry on kitchen paper - keep strawberries separate. Put sugar and 3 tbsp water into a large pan. Gently heat until sugar dissolves - stir a few times. Bring to a boil for 1 min, then tip in the fruit (not strawberries). Cook for 3 mins over a low heat, stirring 2-3 times. The fruit will be softened, mostly intact and surrounded by dark red juice. Put a sieve over a bowl and tip in the fruit and juice.
• Line the bowl with cling film and prepare the bread: Line the 1.25-litre basin with cling film as this will help you to turn out the pudding. Overlap two pieces of cling film in the middle of the bowl as it's easier than trying to get one sheet to stick to all of the curves. Let the edges overhang by about 15cm. Cut the crusts off the bread. Cut 4 pieces of bread in half, a little on an angle, to give 2 lopsided rectangles per piece. Cut 2 slices into 4 triangles each and leave the final piece whole.
• Build the pud: Dip the whole piece of bread into the juice for a few secs just to coat. Push this into the bottom of the basin. Now dip the wonky rectangular pieces one at a time and press around the basin's sides so that they fit together neatly, alternately placing wide and narrow ends up. If you can't quite fit the last piece of bread in it doesn't matter, just trim into a triangle, dip in juice and slot in. Now spoon in the softened fruit, adding the strawberries here and there as you go.
• Let flavours mingle then serve: Dip the bread triangles in juice and place on top - trim off overhang with scissors. Keep leftover juice for later. Bring cling film up and loosely seal. Put a side plate on top and weight down with cans. Chill for 6 hrs or overnight. To serve, open out cling film then put a serving plate upside-down on top and flip over. serve with leftover juice, any extra berries and cream.

ENGLISH SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Combine first seven ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Set aside.
• Cut cake into 1 inch thick slices; cut each slice in half diagonally to make 2 triangles.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 3 quart straight sided glass bowl or trifle bowl with half of the cake pieces; spoon half of the peach mixture into cake-lined bowl.
• Arrange half of remaining cake pieces over the peach mixture, and spoon remaining peach mixture over cake.
• Top with remaining cake pieces.
• Place plastic wrap on surface of cake pieces, and place a small plate on top of plastic wrap; place a one pound can on plate to press mixture.
• Chill for 8 hours.
• Remove plate and plastic wrap.
• Garnish with additional fresh berries, if desired.

ENGLISH SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Combine strawberries and sugar in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook until berries release their juices and sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and cook until they release their juices but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes; the mixture will look like a thick soup. Remove from heat, and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool. Stir in lemon juice and salt.
• Line six 1/2-cup ramekins with plastic wrap. Cut a circle to the diameter of a ramekin from each slice bread.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons of the berry mixture into each ramekin. Dip six circles of bread into the bowl of berries, one at a time, saturating them; place one in each ramekin. Cover with 2 tablespoons more of the berry mixture. Continue until you have three layers of bread and berries, ending with bread. If there is not enough juice to saturate all the bread, press remaining berries through a coarse sieve to yield more juice. When complete, bread and berries should be brimming over the tops of the ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a shallow baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and place a board on top large enough to cover them all. Weight the board with heavy cans (about 5 pounds), and refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, combine cream, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar in a chilled metal bowl; whip until stiff but soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove top layer of plastic wrap, and invert puddings onto plates; remove ramekins. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

ENGLISH SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Cook sugar, lemon juice, peel, and 2 1/4 cups water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium, add strawberries, and poach for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer strawberries to a bowl. Poach blackberries in the same syrup for 30 seconds, then add to strawberries. Repeat with blueberries, then with half the raspberries. Add remaining raspberries to syrup and cook, mashing with spoon, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Discard peel. Cool syrup.
• Use a pastry brush to lightly coat a deep 1-quart bowl with syrup. Cut 1 slice of bread to fit the bottom, dip it into syrup, and place in bowl. Dip additional bread slices into syrup and line sides of bowl, overlapping slightly.
• Spoon about a third of mixed berries into bowl. Cut several more bread slices to make an even layer of bread over berries, then dip into syrup, arrange, and press down lightly. Repeat process twice, ending with a double layer of bread. Refrigerate remaining syrup.
• Cover pudding with plastic wrap, place a plate on top, and weigh it down with two large cans. Place bowl on a plate (juice may seep out) and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Invert pudding onto a platter (if pudding sticks, slide a knife around the edge) and serve cold with reserved syrup and whipped cream.