Summer Pudding

I make summer pudding every year without fail, it's one of my favourite desserts and it doesn't require any messing about as it is already a naturally vegan dessert. Cream is a must though and luckily vegan cream is extremely close to the real thing and widely available in supermarkets. The only difference from my usual summer pudding is that I am making individual portions this year for my Housebites menu, rather than using a full sized pudding basin.

Summer Pudding from Chef Eva's Housebites Menu

Ingredients:

500g Summer Fruits: Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Redcurrants fresh or frozen (if frozen defrost first)

8 Slices of White Bread - don't use the freshest bread, something a day old works better

5 Heaped Tsp of Granulated Sugar

Icing sugar for dusting

Sprig of Fresh Mint to garnish

Vegan Cream to serve - I use Alpro Soya

1. Wash the fruit if fresh and drain. Then place all the fruit and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon as fruit is boiling, remove from heat and leave to cool, taste it to make sure it's sweet enough and if it isn't add more sugar.

2. You'll need 4 small ramekins or similar for the puddings. You need to line these with cling film and try to push out any air bubbles without tearing holes in it. The cling film should hang over the edges enough so that you can wrap up the whole thing in the end.

3. Once the fruit is cool sieve the fruit and separate the juice. You'll need to reserve about a third of the juice for serving.

4. Using a round cookie cutter the same size as your ramekins (about 3 inches) cut out 8 circles in the bread. If you cut it out right in the corner you should be able to use the other parts of the bread to cut out long strips as well to line the edges- if not just use extra bread.

5. Dip four of the round pieces of bread into the berry juice and press them into the bottom of the ramekins. Then dip your strips and line the edges.

6. Spoon the fruit in to the bread lined ramekins and dip the other 4 circles and use them as lids, then wrap it all up in the cling film.

7. The puddings need to be chilled now. Put them on a tray or plate and put something heavy and flat on top like a baking sheet with a couple of cartons of juice on and leave in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.

8. When you serve the puddings remove them from the ramekins and cling film tip them upside down and pour over the reserved juice and then pour the cream on. Garnish with a mint sprig and dust with icing sugar.

Tweet