White Summer Pudding
I imagined this idea way before I was able to bring it into existence: I spent a whole summer trying to track down whitecurrants to no avail, until a fellow baker on Instagram posted a picture of a cake adorned with them. I messaged her instantly. It just so happened that I was staying in the same area of London the following week, when I was able to pick some up at a local greengrocers. They're not cheap, so I vowed to grow my own in my parents' garden the following year.
Summer pudding is of course traditionally red, showcasing the vibrant colours of the season. But I got thinking about the more muted shades of other berries that might similarly be shown off. Here, I combine apples, gooseberries and whitecurrants with elderflower cordial. The key is not to make the filling too sloppy: it needs to hold its shape, so follow my suggested quantities and cooking guidance closely.
Use shop-bought cordial if you don't make your own (you can find my spin on elderflower cordial here). The discarded crusts can be made into croutons for soup, or breadcrumbs. With any leftover juices, drizzle them over crumbled sponge and top with cream for a trifle (more instructions here).
Ingredients
For the outside:
Equipment
Method
1. Cut the bread into different shapes. You'll need (approximately):
2. Pour the cordial onto a large dinner plate. Dip all the slices except the triangles into the cordial (both sides). Then, line the pudding basin, putting the whole slice at the base, then the wonky rectangles around the sides, alternating between shapes. Use more cordial, if needed, to press the edges together (use the back of a spoon to compress the bread a little, but don't squash it completely otherwise the bread casing will be too thin and won't absorb much fruit juice later).
I imagined this idea way before I was able to bring it into existence: I spent a whole summer trying to track down whitecurrants to no avail, until a fellow baker on Instagram posted a picture of a cake adorned with them. I messaged her instantly. It just so happened that I was staying in the same area of London the following week, when I was able to pick some up at a local greengrocers. They're not cheap, so I vowed to grow my own in my parents' garden the following year.
Summer pudding is of course traditionally red, showcasing the vibrant colours of the season. But I got thinking about the more muted shades of other berries that might similarly be shown off. Here, I combine apples, gooseberries and whitecurrants with elderflower cordial. The key is not to make the filling too sloppy: it needs to hold its shape, so follow my suggested quantities and cooking guidance closely.
Use shop-bought cordial if you don't make your own (you can find my spin on elderflower cordial here). The discarded crusts can be made into croutons for soup, or breadcrumbs. With any leftover juices, drizzle them over crumbled sponge and top with cream for a trifle (more instructions here).
Ingredients
For the outside:
- About 10 slices of a day-old white square sandwich loaf (crusts removed)
- 8 tablespoons elderflower cordial
- 1 1/2 large cooking apples, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 350g gooseberries, washed and topped and tailed to remove end pieces
- 350g whitecurrants, washed delicately and stalks removed
- 1½ tablespoons elderflower cordial
- Extra fruit
- Double/pouring cream
Equipment
- 1.25 litre pudding bowl, lined with cling film (with excess hanging over the sides, for 'wrapping' the pudding)
Method
1. Cut the bread into different shapes. You'll need (approximately):
- 1 whole slice
- 4 slices cut into triangles
- 6 slices cut into slightly wonky rectangles (see picture)
2. Pour the cordial onto a large dinner plate. Dip all the slices except the triangles into the cordial (both sides). Then, line the pudding basin, putting the whole slice at the base, then the wonky rectangles around the sides, alternating between shapes. Use more cordial, if needed, to press the edges together (use the back of a spoon to compress the bread a little, but don't squash it completely otherwise the bread casing will be too thin and won't absorb much fruit juice later).
3. In three saucepans, cook the fruit separately so as to control the cooking time of each:
- Over a very low heat, with just a drop of water in the bottom, cook the peeled and chopped cooking apples until the chunks have broken down considerably (aim for some albeit soft chunks to remain, rather than for the mixture to be entirely pulped - see picture).
- Over a very low heat, cook the gooseberries in just a drop of water until softened but not completely pulpy (see picture).
- Over a very low heat, soften the whitecurrants a little: the water that remains on the berries after washing them is enough for cooking them in (no need to add any more water). Again, don't overcook: they should be soft but mostly intact (some will inevitably burst - that's fine).
4. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer the gooseberries and then the currants to the cooking apple pan, trying to leave behind as much excess juice as possible so as not to overwhelm the eventual filling with too much liquid. Then, stir in the elderflower cordial. Add more if you think the fruit is not sufficiently sweet (or add a little caster sugar instead, if you don't want to add any further elderflower flavour). Do this gradually: the whitecurrants add quite a bit of sweetness on their own.
5. Spoon the filling into the pudding basin, then cover it with the triangles (don't soak these in cordial). Use additional triangles if needed/cut different shapes to fill any awkward gaps. Place a side plate on top and then some weights (e.g. some cans). Wrap with the overhanging cling film (note that I didn't actually use cling film and it turned out without much force, but cling film is your best bet!). Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
6. Turn the pudding out onto a plate by unwrapping the clingfilm, placing the serving plate over the top of the basin and giving it a gentle shake. Decorate with any remaining fruit, and serve with pouring/double cream.