Summer Puddings Recipes

SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Line the bottom of a 2- to 2 1/2-quart bowl with bread, tearing bread as necessary to completely cover bottom without overlapping. Halve remaining bread slices lengthwise. Line sides of bowl with overlapping bread slices (reserve some for covering the top); trim bread flush with top of bowl.
• Combine berries, sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, gently stirring a few times, just until berries start to soften and currants begin to burst and release their juices. Do not let mixture boil. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes.
• Pour berry mixture into bowl and cover with a single layer of remaining bread slices, tearing bread as necessary to fill in any gaps. Place a round dish or pan slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl on top of bread, and press down on plate until juices rise to surface. Place a heavy can or other weight on top of plate. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove weighted plate from basin. Run a thin knife around edge between bread and bowl. Invert onto a rimmed serving plate and lift bowl to release pudding. Stir together mascarpone and cream in a bowl until smooth, then whisk to soft peaks. Cut pudding into wedges and serve with whipped mascarpone cream.

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.

INDIVIDUAL SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, cook berries and lemon juice over medium heat until berries release their juices but still hold their shape, about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and salt; cook until dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain sauce; reserve whole berries. Let cool.
• Line a cupcake tin with plastic wrap, pressing it into cups. Using cookie cutters or an inverted glass, cut out six 2 1/4-inch rounds and twelve 2 3/4-inch rounds from bread.
• Pour 1 tablespoon sauce into each cup; add 1 tablespoon berries. Top with smaller bread rounds; add another tablespoon each of sauce and berries. Make another layer of bread, sauce, and berries; top with remaining bread rounds. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass.
• Fold plastic over; cover with a baking sheet. Weight with a heavy skillet. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• To serve, pull up on plastic wrap, and gently unmold each pudding onto plates; drizzle with sauce.

SUMMER PUDDINGS | SLIMMING & WEIGHT WATCHERS FRIENDLY

Steps:

• Place the defrosted berries and their juices in a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the granulated sweetener and stir gently to combine. Only stir once to avoid breaking up the fruit. Set aside for 10 minutes while the sweetener dissolves.
• Line 4 x 300ml ramekin dishes with clingfilm, allowing it to overlap the rim of the dishes by about 5cm.
• Lay the slices of bread out on a chopping board. Using an 8cm plain round cutter, cut out 8 discs of bread from one corner of each slice.
• Take 4 of the discs of bread and dip one side in the sweetened fruit juice in the bowl. Place one disc, dipped side down, in the bottom of each ramekin dish, reserving the other 4 for later.
• Cut the remaining bread into rectangles approx 5cm x 4cm. You will find you will have to cut some a little narrower. Dip one side of each rectangle in the sweetened fruit juice in the bowl and use these to line the sides of each dish, placing the dipped side against the side of the dish. It doesn't matter if the pieces of bread are uneven shapes, just make sure they cover the sides and up to the rim of the dishes.
• Reserve a little fruit juice for dipping the remaining 4 discs of bread, then spoon the berries and their juices into the 4 bread lined dishes right up to the top. Press the berries down lightly with the back of a dessert spoon.
• Take the 4 remaining discs of bread, and dip one side of each in the reserved fruit juice. Place on top of the fruit, the dipped side facing up. If you have any juice left, drizzle this over the puddings.
• Make sure that the clingfilm is hanging down around the edges of each dish, then cover the tops with another piece of clingfilm and fold down.
• Place the dishes on a tray and place something heavy, such as a tin of food or a filled jam jar on top of each. Place the tray and weighted dishes in the fridge for 4 hours.
• To remove the puddings from the dishes: Take the weights off the top of each pudding. Remove the clingfilm from the tops of each pudding and discard.
• Place a small serving plate upside down on top of each pudding. Hold the pudding and plate together and turn over so that the pudding is now sitting on the plate.
• Carefully remove the ramekin dish from each pudding, using the overlapping clingfilm lining to help you. Once the ramekin dishes have been removed, peel the clingfilm lining away from the puddings and discard.
• Serve with a few extra summer berries and a squirt of aerosol cream if you wish.

EASY ENGLISH SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Stir the water and sugar together and bring to a gentle boil. Add all the berries and fruits except the strawberries. Stew the fruits very gently and not for too long. They should simply be softened but still retain their shape. Once you feel they are ready put them to one side (juice and all) and leave to cool.
• Cut the slices of bread into half-each half into triangles. They do not all have to match perfectly; you will use these to line a 1 1/2-pint (700-milliliter) pudding.
• Start by lining your pudding basin with cling film. Then continue by dipping a couple of triangles in the juices of the stewed fruits . Lay these in the bottom of the dish and then continue the same way but lining the sides of the basin with bread slices ensuring there are no gaps.
• Once completed, fill with the stewed fruits including the strawberries. Cover the top with more juice dipped bread slices. Make sure not to add too much of the juices from the fruits as this may cause the bread to lose its shape. There must be enough to soak into the bread, though.
• Place a saucer on the top of the basin and weigh down with something heavy like a tin of tomatoes or beans is ideal. Place in the refrigerator and leave overnight.
• The next day, turn the pudding out onto a pretty serving plate and serve with either the whipped cream or make some lovely custard sauce . If you are lucky enough to have scorching sunny weather, then serve with ice cream.
• Enjoy.

SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• The day before you plan to serve the pudding, line a 2 quart mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Line the plastic wrap with the white bread slices, trimming to fit so that the pieces fit together neatly. Save enough bread to cover the top of the pudding.
• In a saucepan, combine the apple juice concentrate and all the berries. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the strawberries begin to soften, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat immediately.
• Stirring, dissolve the gelatin in the water, then add the mixture to the berries and stir to combine. Spoon into the bread-lined bowl. Cover with remaining bread slices, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and slightly weight it down. Chill overnight.
• When ready to serve, whip the cream with an electric mixer at high speed until it forms soft peaks.
• Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Carefully turn the pudding out onto a platter, remove the bowl and the plastic wrap. Serve in slices with whipped cream on top.

INDIVIDUAL SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• The day before you plan to serve the pudding, butter 8 (1-cup) ramekins and line them with plastic wrap. Cut the crusts off the bread and, using a round cutter the size of the interior of the bottom of the ramekin, cut out 16 bread disks. Lay 8 of them in the bottoms of the ramekins. Cut the rest of the bread in strips and line the walls of the ramekins. Reserve the remaining 8 disks.
• Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it soak to sponge for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, carefully combine the apple juice concentrate and all the berries. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the strawberries begin to soften, about 1 minute. Immediately turn off the heat. Add the sponged gelatin to the berries mixture and stir to combine.
• Divide evenly by spooning the berries and their juice into the bread-lined ramekins. Cover with remaining bread disks. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan and cover them with plastic wrap. Place a second sheet pan on top of them and place a weight on it, like a 1/2 gallon juice can and chill overnight. The bread should become completely soaked with berry juice by the next day. These will keep for 2 days at this point.
• When ready to serve, whip the cream with an electric mixer at high speed until it forms soft peaks. Remove the puddings from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap on top. Carefully turn the pudding out onto dessert plates tugging on the plastic wrap lining if needed. Serve with whipped cream on top.