| Summer Pudding |
This delicious juicy dessert requires a bit of planning because it has to be made the night before serving. The good news is that it's very easy to make and does not require baking. If you can't find red currents called for in the recipe, substitute them with more raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries. The key to success of summer pudding is using the right kind of bread. You need to find a good firm loaf of white sandwich bread that is not mushy like Wonderbread, does not have holes like baguette of ciabatta, and is not made from sourdough. The best bread for this dish that I found in Boston area is Peasant White Bread made by Boston Daily Bread Company. You can buy it in your local Whole Food Market.
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| Serves 8 |
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| Ingredients | Directions |
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2 pints raspberries (4 cups) 2 pints blackberries (4 cups) 1/2 pint red currents (1 cup) 2/3 cup sugar 2 Tbsp cassis (optional) |
In a non-reactive (not aluminum) saucepan, cook berries and red currents with sugar on med-low heat stirring occasionally until berries break down and release their juices. This will take at least 30 minutes. Stir in cassis, and take off heat. Let cool 30-45 minutes (the berries should be very warm, but not too hot). |
| 1 Lb loaf of firm-textured white bread, such as pain de mie |
Remove the crust from bread. If the loaf is not sliced, slice into 1/2" slices. Line a 1 1/2 -quart soufflé dish (or any other round dish that is 7-8" in diameter and 3" deep) with plastic wrap. Line the sides and bottom with bread making a layer one slice thick. You'll have to trim the bread slices to fit as snuggly as possible. Pour half of the berries into the bread-lined dish. Spread them over the bottom layer of bread. Make another layer of bread slices over the berries, trimming the bread as necessary to fit snuggly. Add the remaining berries and cover with a final layer of bread. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Cover with a plate with a slightly smaller diameter than the dish, and place a heavy object (a large can of tomatoes or olive oil) on the plate to weigh the pudding down. Refrigerate overnight. |
| Whipped cream | To serve, remove the plastic wrap, and invert pudding onto a plate. Remove the rest of the plastic wrap. Slice and serve with whipped cream. |