Red Fruit Summer Pudding Food

EASY SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Place the fruit in a pan. Remove the stems from the redcurrants (if using) with a fork, pour the sugar over the fruit and stir gently to mix together.
• If you have time, cover the pan with a tea towel or cling film and leave for 3-5 hours (or overnight) to get the juices running. Place the pan over a moderate heat and bring gently up to the boil.
• While the fruit is simmering, cut the bread into thin slices and remove the crusts.
• When the juices are beginning to flow, raise the heat slightly and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and stir in the cassis or blackcurrant cordial.
• Cut a round out of one slice of bread to fit the bottom of the bowl, then cut the remaining slices into triangular wedges.
• Dip one side of the bread circle into the juices in the pan containing the fruit, then place the circle in the bottom of the pudding basin, juice-side down. Do the same with the bread triangles, dipping one side of the bread into the juices before placing them around the edge of the bowl, with the dipped side facing outwards. The tips of the bread triangles will be sticking up from the top of the bowl at this stage.
• Once the bowl is completely lined with the juice-soaked bread (be sure to plug any gaps with small pieces of bread if necessary), spoon all of the fruit and its juices into the pudding basin. Trim the tips of bread from around the edge. Cover the top of the fruit with more wedges of bread. Place the pudding basin on a plate to collect any juices.
• Find a saucer that fits neatly inside the bowl. Place it on top to cover the upper layer of bread, then weigh the saucer down with weights - bags of rice, tins of baked beans, or whatever comes to hand. Let it cool, then place in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, remove the weights and the saucer. Run a thin blade around the edges, then invert the basin onto a shallow serving plate.
• Turn the pudding out, cut into thick slices and serve the summer pudding with cream.

RED-FRUIT SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Put strawberries, cherries, plums, brown sugar, salt, vanilla bean and seeds, lemon juice, and water into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, gently stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until fruits release juices and are just soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in raspberries and Cointreau.
• Pour fruit mixture through a sieve into a shallow bowl, pressing lightly on solids; discard vanilla bean. Transfer fruit mixture to another bowl. Set both aside.
• Line a 9-inch bowl with plastic wrap, allowing a 3-inch overhang. Working one at a time, quickly dip bread slices into juices, flipping to coat both sides; arrange in prepared bowl, covering bottom and sides completely and trimming to fit if needed. Spread with 1 cup fruit mixture, and then top with more dipped bread. Repeat, using 1 1/2 cups fruit mixture between layers and finishing with bread.
• Cover with plastic overhang. Top with a plate small enough to fit just inside rim, and weigh with soup cans. Refrigerate overnight (or up to 2 days). Unmold pudding onto a platter; remove plastic wrap. Garnish with fruits.

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.

SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Place fruit in saucepan with sugar and cook gently for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Line pudding basin with slices of bread, leaving no gaps. Fill with fruit, cover the top with more bread, to form lid. Cover with saucer and put weights on top, to press the bread down. Refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight. Turn out onto serving plate spoon over extra juice to cover any white part still showing. Serve with clotted cream or ice cream.

RED-FRUIT PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Pur&ée raspberries with their juices in a food processor, then force though a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.
• Sprinkle gelatin over pomegranate juice in a medium saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin has dissolved. Stir in lingonberry sauce and sugar. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved and sauce has melted. Stir into berry purée.
• Quick-chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to mound, about 30 minutes. Pour into dishes or glasses and chill until set, at least 3 hours.

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.

SUMMER BERRY PUDDING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, add the fruit (reserving a few berries for garnish). Add the sugar and cook until the fruit is starting to release some liquid, is tender and beginning to burst, but still holds its shape, about 5 minutes.
• Line a large 6-cup pudding bowl with plastic wrap, allowing lots of overhang.
• Remove the crusts from 10 to 12 slices of bread. Press the bread slices briefly in the juices at the top of the berries in the pot then lay them into the bowl, juice-side down, ensuring there are no spaces. Use smaller pieces to overlap or close gaps in spaces, as needed.
• Remove the berries from the heat, and cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the fruit into the bread-lined bowl, and top with a final layer of bread and spoon a bit more of the juices over the top to color the top layer of bread evenly. Reserve the remaining cooking juices for serving.
• Cover with the plastic wrap and place a plate over the top. Add a large heavy can or a 2-pound weight to the plate and let sit at least 8 hours, or overnight, refrigerated.
• On serving, whip the cream until soft peaks just begin to form. Add the sugar and whip until almost stiff. Gently invert the bowl onto a large serving dish, shaking it lightly to loosen. Peel the plastic wrap off, and spoon the reserved juice all over, to soak any bits of bread that still look white. Serve with a bowl of whipped cream on the side, or cut individual wedges, and add a dollop of cream and a berry or two for garnish.

RED-FRUIT SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Put strawberries, cherries, plums, brown sugar, salt, vanilla bean and seeds, lemon juice, and water into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, gently stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until fruits release juices and are just soft, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in raspberries and Cointreau.
• Pour fruit mixture through a sieve into a shallow bowl, pressing lightly on solids; discard vanilla bean. Transfer fruit mixture to another bowl. Set both aside.
• Line a 9-inch bowl with plastic wrap, allowing a 3-inch overhang. Working one at a time, quickly dip bread slices into juices, flipping to coat both sides; arrange in prepared bowl, covering bottom and sides completely and trimming to fit if needed. Spread wirh 1 cup fruit mixture, and then top with more dipped bread. Repeat, using 1 1/2 cups fruit mixture between layers and finishing with bread.
• Cover with plastic overhang. Top with a plate small enough to fit just inside rim, and weigh with soup cans. Refrigerate overnight (or up to 2 days). Unmold pudding onto a platter; remove plastic wrap. Garnish with fruits.

RASPBERRY SUMMER PUDDING (ENGLISH STYLE)

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and raspberries. Cook, stirring carefully so as not to damage the berries, until the mixture is hot, and the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Line a 1 quart bowl with 5 slices of bread. Pour the raspberry mixture over the bread, and place the last slice of bread on top. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Place a weight on top of the bowl (canned goods work well), and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove plastic wrap, and invert onto a plate. Serve chilled, with whipped cream on the side.