British Summers

photo Flickr copyrighted by Smitten Kitchen

Unfortunately it seems that we have missed having a summer in the UK this year. The rain and flooding has been particularly tragic for many in England. This past Saturday our neighbors hosted a party in their lovely garden and it was a complete washout. But in the end we had a great time. Everyone huddled under the green and white marquee, managing to stay dry, and the party went on well into the evening.

But for today I can live vicariously through past photos from British Homes and Gardens. Perhaps I should make a summer pudding while it is officially summer and the berries are still available.

Summer Pudding or Summer Fruit Pudding is a British dessert made of sliced white bread layered in a deep bowl with macerated berries.

1 loaf of good quality, thickly sliced bread
3 pounds of mixed summer berries (raspberries, blueberries strawberries, blackberries, redcurrants)
1 cup of sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed)

Wash and pick over the fruit removing any stalks. Butter the inside of a 3-pint pudding mold. Remove crusts from the sliced bread. Line the pudding mold with the bread slices, slightly overlapping each slice so there are no gaps in between them. Press the edges together so the bread forms a complete mold inside the bowl.

In a non-reactive pan, bring the mixed berries, lemon zest and sugar to a gentle simmer, until the sugar is dissolved and the fruits are releasing their juice. This should only take about 5 minutes. You want the fruit to keep its shape. Reserve about 3/4 cup of juice and refrigerate. Pour the rest of the fruit and juice into the bread-lined pudding mold.

Seal the top completely with further, overlapping, slices of bread. Cover the bread with a small flat plate or saucer that fits snugly inside the basin. Weigh down the plate with at least 3lbs of weights or a very heavy can or jar.

Refrigerate overnight. The weight will cause the juice to bleed through the bread staining it red. Before serving, gently slide a flexible spatula between the bread and the mold to loosen. Invert the bowl onto a serving plate.

Use the reserved juice to color any areas that still white. Pour any remaining juice over the top of the pudding. Cut into wedges to serve and pair with fresh whipped cream or crème fraiche.