Best Summer Puddings Recipes

DOUBLE-BERRY SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Line six 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes with plastic wrap, overlapping sides by at least 2 inches. Using 2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 1 round from each of 12 bread slices. Place 1 bread round in bottom of each custard cup. Cut remaining 6 bread slices into 1-inch-wide strips. Line sides of custard cups with bread strips, trimming to fit and lining cups completely.
• Combine 2 1/2 cups raspberries and 2 1/2 cups blackberries, sugar, currant jelly, 1/4 cup water and lemon juice in large saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; sim-mer until berries soften and begin to release juices, about 5 minutes (some berries will fall apart). Divide warm berry mixture among bread-lined cups, reserving 1/2 cup juices. Cover berry mixture with remaining 6 bread rounds, pressing down slightly. Pour 1/2 cup berry juices over puddings. Fold in plastic overhang. Place small plates atop puddings; weight down with cans. Chill overnight.
• Remove cans and plates. Unfold plastic wrap. Invert puddings onto plates; remove plastic. Spoon Vanilla Whipped Cream alongside. Garnish with additional berries, if desired.

ENGLISH SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Combine strawberries and sugar in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook until berries release their juices and sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and cook until they release their juices but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes; the mixture will look like a thick soup. Remove from heat, and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool. Stir in lemon juice and salt.
• Line six 1/2-cup ramekins with plastic wrap. Cut a circle to the diameter of a ramekin from each slice bread.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons of the berry mixture into each ramekin. Dip six circles of bread into the bowl of berries, one at a time, saturating them; place one in each ramekin. Cover with 2 tablespoons more of the berry mixture. Continue until you have three layers of bread and berries, ending with bread. If there is not enough juice to saturate all the bread, press remaining berries through a coarse sieve to yield more juice. When complete, bread and berries should be brimming over the tops of the ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a shallow baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and place a board on top large enough to cover them all. Weight the board with heavy cans (about 5 pounds), and refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, combine cream, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar in a chilled metal bowl; whip until stiff but soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove top layer of plastic wrap, and invert puddings onto plates; remove ramekins. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

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.

MINI SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Strip berries from their stalks and hull strawberries. Discard any that are squashy or overripe. Toss berries gently in a nonstick saucepan with sugar and Cassis or water. Heat the pan until it starts to sizzle. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 mins or until the fruits start to bleed and soften.
• Stir gently, then cool to room temperature. Strain fruit through a plastic sieve into a non-metallic bowl for about 10 mins or until the juices stop dripping.
• Have 8 cappuccino or tea cups (about 200ml) ready. Using 2 cutters (approx 10cm and 6cm, but check against the tops and bottoms of your cups), cut out 8 bread rounds of each size. Cut the crusts off 8 more slices and slice in half. These strips should be approximately the same depth as the cups.
• Dip the small rounds of bread into the reserved juices and press into the cups. Dip the straight slices in the juice and press around the sides. Spoon in the fruits, pressing down with the back of a spoon to firm. Dip the last of the bread rounds into the juice; press down on top. Chill overnight.
• When ready to serve, loosen bread tops with the tip of a table knife. Hold a dessert plate over the pudding, then turn upside down, shaking well. The puddings should slip out easily; if not, loosen the sides gently with the knife. Pour any remaining juice over the tops of puddings. Decorate with the remaining fruit; serve with pouring cream.

SUMMER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Cut strawberries in half, then put into a saucepan with other fruit, sugar and 3 tbsp water. Use a large saucepan so the fruit is in a shallow layer. Heat on low for 2-3 minutes until the juice runs from the fruit. Remove from the heat.
• Using biscuit cutters, stamp out four 5.5cm circles from the bread, then use a 7cm cutter for another 4 circles. Put the smaller circles into the base of four 175ml pudding basins.
• Spoon in the fruit, then top with the larger circles. Press down, then spoon over just enough juice to colour the bread red. Cover with cling film and put a weight (such as a jar of jam) on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Reserve the remaining juice.
• To serve the puddings, uncover and run a knife around the edge. Put a serving plate over each one, then invert to release. Spoon the reserved juice over the puddings and serve.