Summer Pudding

A classic British dessert made with fresh berries and bread, soaked in fragrant berry juice. Delicate, refreshing, and incredibly delicious.

Ingredients

• 300 g Strawberries
• 250 g Blackberries
• 100 g Red currants
• 500 g Raspberries
• 175 g Sugar
• 7 pcs White bread
• 3 tbsp Water
• 200 ml Cream

Instructions

1. Prepare the berries. Rinse them and pat dry carefully on paper towels. Set the strawberries aside — they will be added later.
2. Make the berry juice. Place sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a large saucepan. Over medium heat, warm gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then add all the berries except strawberries. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring gently 2–3 times. The berries will become soft while retaining their shape, and the juice will turn a deep dark red color.
3. Strain the berries. Set a sieve over a clean bowl and pour the berries and juice into it. The berries will remain in the sieve while the juice drains into the bowl. You will need this juice to soak the bread.
4. Prepare the mold and bread. Line a 1.25-liter bowl with plastic wrap, overlapping it at the center — this will make it easier to remove the pudding. The edges of the wrap should hang down about 15 cm. Remove the crusts from the bread. Cut 4 slices in half at a slight angle to create 8 irregular rectangles. Cut another 2 slices into 4 triangles each. Leave the last slice whole.
5. Assemble the pudding. Dip the whole slice of bread in the berry juice for just a few seconds to soak it, then place it on the bottom of the mold. One by one, dip the angled rectangles in the juice and press them firmly against the sides of the mold, alternating which end is up — wide and narrow ends — so they fit snugly together. If the last piece doesn't fit, trim it into a triangle, dip it in juice, and insert it in the remaining gap. Begin layering the cooked berries, distributing the strawberries evenly between the layers.
6. Close the pudding. Dip the bread triangles in the remaining juice and arrange them on top of the berry layer. Trim any excess plastic wrap with scissors. Place a smaller plate on top of the pudding and weigh it down with canned goods or another heavy object. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight, so the flavors meld well and the pudding is thoroughly soaked.
7. Serve the pudding. Unwrap the plastic, place a serving plate on top of the pudding, and carefully invert the mold. The pudding will fall onto the plate with the beautiful side facing up. Serve with the remaining berry juice, fresh berries, and cold cream.