2000s Recipes + Menus

Summer Pudding with Blueberries and Raspberries

Serves 6
  • Active time:20 min
  • Start to finish:8 3/4 hr (includes chilling)
July 2007
A little easy preparation, plus time, yields a gorgeous old-fashioned English dessert that showcases summer berries in the most glorious way. The bread retains a bit of its texture and absorbs all the natural juices exuded by the berries for a cool, smooth intensity.
  • 1 unsliced rectangular loaf of brioche or good-quality firm white bread such as Pullman (1 lb), crusts discarded
  • 4 cups blueberries (1 lb)
  • 5 cups raspberries (18 oz)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Equipment:

    a deep 2 1/2-quart bowl (preferably 8 inches in diameter across top and 3 inches across bottom); a platter with a lip
  • Accompaniment:

  • Cut bread into 14 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Cut out a 3-inch round from 1 slice and put in bottom of bowl. Line side of bowl with 10 slices, overlapping them slightly.
  • Bring berries, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries collapse and release their juices, about 8 minutes. Spoon fruit into a sieve set over a bowl and let drain 15 minutes. Spoon drained fruit into bread-lined bowl (reserve juices) and cover completely with remaining bread, cutting bread to fit.
  • Pour juices evenly over bread, making sure all bread is saturated. Cover pudding directly with a piece of wax paper and place a 7-inch plate, upside down, on top of paper. Put a 1- to 1 1/2-pound weight (such as a large can) on plate and chill at least 8 hours.
  • Remove weight, plate, and wax paper and invert platter over bowl, then invert bowl onto platter. Carefully unmold.
Cooks’ note: Pudding can be chilled (with weights) up to 3 days.
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