Recipe: Summer Pudding

This stunning dessert is a take on a classic British pudding. Celebrate the British summer with ripe, delicious berries bursting with seasonal flavour 

INGREDIENTS 

1.5kg (53oz) British summer fruits (e.g. raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants) 

175g (6oz) golden caster sugar

5 tbsp crème de cassis 

Five slices of thick white bread, 3-5 days old 

Double cream, to serve 

METHOD 

1. Hull the strawberries and cut them in halves or quarters. Strip the blackcurrants and redcurrants – keep both the currants separate from the other fruits. 

2. Tip the sugar into a wide, not too deep, saucepan. Measure in 3 tbsp water and the cassis. Put the pan on a low heat and cook, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let the mixture simmer for about 8 minutes until syrupy – but don’t let it change colour or caramelise. 

3. Tip the blackcurrants and redcurrants into the hot syrup, bring back to a lively simmer for no more than a minute, just to lightly soften the currants without losing their shape. Remove the pan from the heat. 

4. Gently stir in the raspberries – a large metal spoon is best so they don’t break up – and let the fruity mixture sit for about half an hour so the juices all mix in. 

5. Trim crusts off bread. Grease a 1.2 litre pudding basin with a little butter. Line the basin with 4 slices of the bread. Fill the middle with the fruit mixture, then use the last slice of bread to cover the fruit mixture, fold over any edges of the bread. Then press it down to compact everything, cover with cling film and put something weighty on the top. Leave in the fridge overnight. 

6. To turn out, go round the edge of the pudding with a round-bladed knife to release it, then invert it on to a plate. Enjoy!