Best Individual Summer Puddings Recipes

INDIVIDUAL SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Tip all the berries, apart from the strawberries, into a saucepan. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir. Set over a low heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit has started to release its juices. Increase the heat, bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for 2 mins until the fruit is soft and you have lots of deep red juices. Quarter the strawberries and stir into the berries, along with the lemon zest. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the fruit through a sieve, reserving the juices. Meanwhile, lightly oil 2 x 175ml dariole moulds (or 2 large teacups) and line with cling film. Using a pastry cutter, stamp out 2 small circles of bread to fit in the base of each mould. Dip one side into the reserved juices while still hot, and place, juice-side down, into the bottom of the lined mould. Cut another 2 larger circles from the bread, and slice the remainder into 2.5cm-wide strips that are the same height as the mould. Dip the strips into the juices and use to line the sides of the moulds in the same way, pressing each piece in place and overlapping slightly.
• Pack the strained fruit into the bread-lined moulds, reserving some fruit and juices for serving. Fold over any strips of bread that protrude from the mould, then dip the final 2 circles of bread in the juices and top the puddings to seal. Cover with cling film and push down firmly with the palm of your hand. Pop in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hrs, preferably overnight.
• When ready to serve, whip together the cream and icing sugar. Turn the puddings out onto plates, top with the reserved fruit and juices, and serve with the sugared cream.

INDIVIDUAL SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, cook berries and lemon juice over medium heat until berries release their juices but still hold their shape, about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and salt; cook until dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain sauce; reserve whole berries. Let cool.
• Line a cupcake tin with plastic wrap, pressing it into cups. Using cookie cutters or an inverted glass, cut out six 2 1/4-inch rounds and twelve 2 3/4-inch rounds from bread.
• Pour 1 tablespoon sauce into each cup; add 1 tablespoon berries. Top with smaller bread rounds; add another tablespoon each of sauce and berries. Make another layer of bread, sauce, and berries; top with remaining bread rounds. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass.
• Fold plastic over; cover with a baking sheet. Weight with a heavy skillet. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• To serve, pull up on plastic wrap, and gently unmold each pudding onto plates; drizzle with sauce.

INDIVIDUAL SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• The day before you plan to serve the pudding, butter 8 (1-cup) ramekins and line them with plastic wrap. Cut the crusts off the bread and, using a round cutter the size of the interior of the bottom of the ramekin, cut out 16 bread disks. Lay 8 of them in the bottoms of the ramekins. Cut the rest of the bread in strips and line the walls of the ramekins. Reserve the remaining 8 disks.
• Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it soak to sponge for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, carefully 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. Immediately turn off the heat. Add the sponged gelatin to the berries mixture and stir to combine.
• Divide evenly by spooning the berries and their juice into the bread-lined ramekins. Cover with remaining bread disks. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan and cover them with plastic wrap. Place a second sheet pan on top of them and place a weight on it, like a 1/2 gallon juice can and chill overnight. The bread should become completely soaked with berry juice by the next day. These will keep for 2 days at this point.
• When ready to serve, whip the cream with an electric mixer at high speed until it forms soft peaks. Remove the puddings from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap on top. Carefully turn the pudding out onto dessert plates tugging on the plastic wrap lining if needed. Serve with whipped cream on top.