There couldn’t be anything more summery about this traditional English dessert and there couldn’t be anything easier to make. As I’m currently in the UK dodging raindrops, the next blog will be in defense of British food (part 2). It will also be a few days late.

Summer Pudding is normally made with fresh blackcurrants, blackberries and raspberries but if you can’t get blackcurrants, you can make it with any other combination of soft fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, redcurrants – even sliced, very ripe, dark plums; you’ll need to use red and dark fruit to create the prettiest pudding.

English Summer Pudding

SUMMER PUDDING

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1 lb (half a kilo) of mixed berries

1 tablespoon of water

3 tablespoons of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)

3 oz (142g) of white sugar

6 oz (165g) of thinly sliced white bread or brioche, crusts trimmed off

Action:

In a heavy pan, bring the water, crème de cassis and sugar to a gentle boil. Add the fruit and simmer for a few minutes until softened but they’ve still retained their shape.

Line a 1.5 pint (0.85 liter) bowl with the sliced white bread. Tip the fruit and juices into the bowl and put another layer of bread on top, cut to fit.

Put a small plate or saucer on top and a weight of some sort on top of that to press everything down. Chill overnight in the fridge.

To serve, simply invert onto a large serving plate and serve with heavy whipped cream or English custard (Crème Anglaise).