Summer Pudding

I've always wanted to make a classic Summer Pudding, but it intimidated me: the architectural construction of firm-enough bread walls; the nerve wracking inversion of the pudding basin, watching with bated breath to see if the pudding would stay upright or collapse into a sad purple puddle. However, the other day I was lucky enough to help my dear Mother, a seasoned pudding maker, create one for her friends. It was so much easier than expected and has totally rid me of my Summer Pudding phobia, which is just as well as I have 4 bags of home grown blackcurrants waiting for me in the freezer.

 

 

 

 

  

Recipe adapted by me from one given in the book British Baking by Peyton & Byrne,  buy the book on Amazon

Ingredients:

300g blackcurrants
200g redcurrants (or 100g more blackcurrants)
50g white currants (optional)
450g - 500g raspberries and/ or blackberries and/or blueberries
175g caster sugar
White best quality bread loaf (ideally slightly stale)
5 tbsp. Original Ribena (optional)
1 small sprig of mint (optional)


Serves 6-8


1. Put the blackcurrants, redcurrants, and whitecurrants into a large saucepan along with 115g of the caster sugar, and heat over a low temperature for 10-15 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Occasionally stir the fruit, but not enough to break the berries up as they need to be kept intact rather than turn slushy.


2. After the currant berries have been on the heat for about 5 minutes, place the raspberries, blackberries or blueberries (or a mix of these) into a second, slightly smaller saucepan with the rest of the caster sugar.  Heat the fruit as above, on a low heat for 10 minutes, with an occasional gentle stir until the sugar dissolves.


3. Once both saucepans of fruit have released their juice and all sugar has dissolved, tip all the fruit into a sieve set over a bowl to catch the juice. Leave the fruit and the juice to cool for about 20 minutes.


4. Meanwhile, take out a 1 or 1.5 litre pudding basin. Cut the white loaf with a knife into thick slices. Then remove the crusts, and using scissors (which makes it much easier for some reason), cut each slice into three equal finger pieces, to fit around the sides of the bowl. Save one slice, with which to cut a circle shape slightly larger than the base of the pudding basin. If you wish to use the Ribena (which we didn't bother with), add it to the bowl of fruit juice at this point.


5. When the juice has cooled, dip the circle of bread, gently, into the juice so that both sides are covered and purple. Place the circle firmly into the base of the pudding basin.


6. Next dip each finger of bread, one by one, into the juice so that both sides are covered. Avoid wetting them so much that the bread starts to disintegrate - the bread needs to stay firm. Place the purple bread fingers lengthways up the bowl, bottom to top overlapping slightly and touching the circle at the base. Basically you want to ensure there are no gaps and every angle inside the bowl is lined by those overlapping bread pieces. Press them gently to fit them into place. You'll need to keep some bread fingers back to seal the base of the pudding once the fruit has been put in.


7. With the sides and base of the pudding basin lined with bread, carefully spoon the prepared fruit into the lining, and pour most of the remaining juice over the fruit. Then gently dip the last fingers of bread into any leftover juice, before using it to line the top of the pudding, overlapping them again so that the pudding is sealed. Spoon the last bit of juice over the sealed top.


8. Place a saucer (or small plate which fits just inside the rim of the bowl) over the top of the sealed pudding. Place several heavy weights (or a couple of full heavy cans) onto the saucer. Place the pudding in its dish onto a large plate which will catch any juice that may seep out. Chill in the fridge overnight, for about 12-24 hours.


9. To serve, remove the weight or cans, and the plate. Trim any edges of the bread wall as you would with the pastry of a quiche, to make sure the pudding is a nice circular shape. Gently run a small sharp knife around the edges of the pudding in the basin, to loosen it. Turn the pudding out carefully and slowly onto an upturned plate. Remove the basin. Top with a sprig of fresh mint or some reserved cooked berries. Cut into slices, and serve with or without cream!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pudding was idly baked while listening to the news on Radio 4.

 

p.s. Thanks so much for all your incredibly kind words on this year's Mad Tea Party post.
Full recipes for all the cakes and treats featured are to come in upcoming posts.

 

Summer Berry Clafoutis

Clafoutis is one of those brilliant puddings that fulfill all the idle baker's criteria, being remarkably quick and easy to make, very beautiful, and totally delicious. The batter and fruit idea comes from France, where they traditionally use cherries, but nowadays people are baking clafoutis using any soft fruit that's available.

Here I've made it following the dictats of Stephane Reynaud's brilliant tome Ripailles, to use up our garden berries: ripe gooseberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. The slight bitterness of the berries works well adding bite to the sugary batter, but you can equally try this with sweeter fruit such as peaches or nectarines if you'd like a milder flavour. Whatever fruit you use, baking this clafoutis in the oven will cause the kitchen to smell incredible, and the pudding to taste of summer. Second helpings all round.

Recipe
Serves 4-6 depending how greedy you are

Adapted from the recipe in Ripailles by Stephane Reynaud. Buy the book on Amazon

450g/500g berries - I used gooseberries, raspberries and blackcurrants
125g plain flour
50g caster sugar
250ml milk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp icing sugar or caster sugar, to dust
1. Turn the oven to 180C (160C fan oven). Butter an ovenproof dish.

2. Wash any shop bought fruit, and top and tail any with stems.

2. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl, and add the first egg, stirring well. Next add the second egg and beat until combined.

3. Stir in the caster sugar, and then add the milk. Mix well until the batter is smooth and liquid.

4. Place the prepared fruit in the ovenproof dish. Bake in the oven for approx 25 minutes, until the batter looks bounces back under your finger and the edges are golden brown.

5. Take out of the oven, and sieve the sugar over the top.

6. Leave the clafoutis to cool a bit. It can be served either warm or at room temperature.

This clafoutis was idly baked while laughing at BBC Radio 4's programme I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

The Idle Cheat's Blackcurrant Coulis Icecream

Ok, so this shouldn't strictly be included in my idle baking journal as there's neither cake nor oven in sight, but the weather is beautiful, the living is (relatively) easy, and the first of our blackcurrants have been picked from the fruit patch. We only started the fruit and herb patches this January, so you can imagine my excitement this week when it came to picking our first ever produce. I decided there was nothing for it but to make my first ice cream as well, featuring the blackcurrants as the stars of the show.

But I hadn't counted on how quickly they would age. Even with refrigeration, the blackcurrants only lasted 3 days before they were about to turn bad. So, without the right ingredients in the house to make the icecream I had planned, I turned to plan B: a blackcurrant coulis. That way I could cook up the berries quickly and then integrate the sauce into the shop bought icecream that was already in the freezer. Voila the idle cheat's Blackcurrant Coulis Icecream. A lot less work than actually making icecream, and delicious to boot.

Recipe

Serves 4

Inspired by Nigel Slater's recipe at BBC Food Website

1 bowl of blackcurrants or another berry fruit

3 tbsps water

2 tbsps caster sugar

450ml or 500ml tub of vanilla icecream (or a dairy free alternative, such as Worthenshaw's Freedom dessert range)

small carton of single cream to serve, plus extra blackcurrants, both optional

1. Take the icecream out of the freezer and leave it in its tub, with a plate underneath, to start melting.

2. To make the coulis, first wash the blackcurrants and pull the stems off them.

3. In a small saucepan over a high heat, bring the blackcurrants, sugar and water to the boil.  Then simmer for 5 minutes. Once the blackcurrants are bursting their juices, bring the pan to a boil for another 2 minutes.

4. Next take the saucepan off the heat and leave it to cool.

5. When the icecream has almost melted, spoon it carefully into a large mixing bowl.

6. Pour two thirds of the blackcurrant coulis into the icecream, and stir them together, which will turn the mixture a lovely marbled pink colour.

7.  Spoon the pink coulis icecream back into the icecream tub. Then pour the remainder of the coulis on top of the mixture, before stirring it in gently.

8. Put the lid back on the icecream tub and place back into the freezer. Use within 1 month.

9. Serve with extra blackcurrants, and some single cream if you're that way inclined.

If you'd like an even quicker dessert, just make the coulis, leave it to cool, and then drizzle it over the shop bought icecream scoops when you come to serve them, perhaps with some fresh berries and madeleines.

This coulis icecream was idly made to the sounds of PJ Harvey's album Let England Shake