Summer pudding recipe

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours macerating and 8 hours chilling

 

600 g mixed summer fruit (raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants, sliced strawberries)

2 ripe peaches or nectarines, pitted and diced

1/4 cup (55 g) sugar, or to taste

150 ml cranberry juice

8 thin slices white bread, about 200 g in total, preferably 1–2 days old

 

reduced-fat crème fraîche

 

1 Crush the different types of fruit individually, to be sure all the skins are broken and the fruit is pulpy. Put all the fruit in a large bowl with the sugar and cranberry juice and stir to mix. Leave to macerate for 2 hours.

 

2 Cut the crusts from the bread and cut the slices into strips or triangles. Fit the bread into a 1 litre pudding basin to line the bottom and sides, reserving enough bread to cover the top. Fill in any gaps with small bits of bread.

 

3 Reserve 3–4 tablespoons of juice from the mixed fruit, then gently pour the fruit mixture into the bread-lined pudding basin. Top with the remaining bread. Cover with a plate that just fits inside the rim of the basin, setting it directly on top of the bread, and then place a heavy weight such as a can of food on top. Place the basin in the fridge to chill for 8 hours or overnight.

 

4 To serve, turn the pudding out onto a serving dish. Use the reserved fruit juice to brush or pour over any parts of the bread that have not been coloured. Serve with crème fraîche, if you like.

 

 

Each serving (pudding˛alone)˛provides 670 kJ, 160 kcal, 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 36 g carbohydrate (20 g sugars), 3 g fibre

 

 

Raspberries, redcurrants and strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C (blueberries are a good source). This vitamin is not only an anti-oxidant with an important role in preventing heart disease, but is also essential for good wound-healing and resistance to infections.

 

Low in fat and high in carbohydrate and fibre, this delicious dessert fits well into a healthy-heart diet.