Some years ago, whilst we were living in England, sunny special days were so precious due to their rarity, and sometimes when we yearned for the sun to come out but it wouldn’t – well, I would try to bring the sun into our home. Ladies and gentlemen, let me bring the sun into your own – here is my own summer pudding gift for you all to share and enjoy, and treat yourself to this sweet culinary exotic experience. May it bring you, your friends and your families, all the delight and rich taste that reminds you, whether the sun is in or out, how wonderful it is to indulge your imagination through your taste buds. It’s so easy to make, with 2 added bonuses – divine taste and impressive looks – great for impressing the guests !!! Serve with your own choice of vegan cream – don’t omit the cream, as it’s essential and traditional to have with it.
TIP : My recipe uses wholemeal multi-seed bread instead of white bread, and agave syrup instead of sugar – making this dessert a healthy one.
Makes 6 portions
INGREDIENTS
- 750g berries of your choice (I use a mixture of freshly frozen redcurrants, blackcurrants, strawberries, wild blueberries, blackberries and raspberries – but by all means fresh, if you wish)
- 5 tbsp agave nectar (a much healthier option to sugar and diabetic friendly) – vary the amount according to taste
- 4 tbsp water
- 8 slices of wholemeal brown bread, crusts removed
METHOD
Place your fruits in a large saucepan, add the agave and water, and heat them up for around 10 minutes – not longer, as you really need their texture to remain as intact as possible. Allow the mixture to cool.
Next, prepare a glass basin (1½ pints capacity – around 850 ml) to make the pudding in. Then cut your first slice of bread to fit the base of the bowl, dip the outside of it in the berry juices, and place this first slice face down in the bowl, so that the ‘cleaner’ side is facing you.
Now get each slice of your bread, dip the outside of it with the juice from the berries, as before, and overlap each slice until you have lined the bowl.
Next, pour half the fruit mixture in with a large spoon, and place a further slice of bread on top of this (no need to dip it in the juice) -this helps ensure the pudding won’t collapse when slicing, etc.
Add the remaining fruit, and finally add the last slice of bread on top. You may need more bread to make sure that there are no gaps, as you need the outer casing to be strong when you later upturn the bowl.
Finally, place a saucer or small plate on top of the pudding, so that it fits neatly inside the rim of the bowl, whilst making contact with the upper surface of the pudding, and place a 3 or 4lb weight on top, before leaving in the fridge overnight.
Prior to serving, upturn the pudding onto a serving plate, and pour any remaining juice on top, and serve with a healthy dollop of vegan cream. Bon Appetit.
All recipes, content & design © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
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Miriam, a wonderful reminder of the good bits of living an English summer! My dad used to grow all his own soft fruits so we always had plenty, though depending on the weather, some fruit were pippy! In Malta, it’s the frozen variety but still worth the treat every so often. Thanks for jolting my memory and whetting appetite.
Hi Liz, yes, we used to pick our own berries back in the day when we were based in England – but the frozen variety (with assorted berries as per my recipe) work almost just as well and once they (the mixture of all the variety of berries) sweat over the cooker’s flame, they yield a wonderful rich syrup indeed ! And finally once served with cream (vegan cream), the contrast of taste just comes together ! I hope you make it and enjoy it – this is a healthier version of the typical white bread and sugar ingredients that is usually used to make this delight, and with the added bonus of agave, multigrain bread and vegan cream, it makes for a cholesterol free treat. Cheers !