Speedy Summer Puddings

Traditionally summer pudding is bread and berries, left overnight for the bread to soak up all the juices.

The texture of this 10-minute version is less bready and more berry, which I actually like a bit better. Use the sugar quantity in the recipe as a guide. If you think it needs more sweetness, by all means adjust.

Vanilla ice cream is my go-to dessert accompaniment. But feel free to mix it up with clotted cream, mascarpone or even some good old softly whipped cream.

Serves: 2
Takes: 10 minutes
100g (3.5oz) berries + extra to serve
2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
2 slices white bread
vanilla ice cream, to serve

1. Mash berries together with sugar until dissolved.

2. Cut 2 circles from each slice of bread by pushing a cookie cutter or small wine glass down on the bread.

3. Squish bread into the berry mixture until each circle is lovely and pink. Place bread into 2 small glasses, tea cups or ramekins, using two circles for each pudding.

4. Scatter over extra berries and drizzle over any remaining berry-sugar mixture, serve with ice cream.

Variations

dairy-free/vegan – serve with whipped coconut cream: chill a can of coconut milk then spoon off the solid ‘cream’ from the top and whip as you would regular cream.

gluten-free – crumble some sweet gluten-free cookies into the glasses and top with the berries. Frozen berries are excellent here — just defrost before using.

different berries – I’ve used raspberries but feel free to use a mixture of different berries.

sugar-free – skip the caster sugar.

paleo (gluten, grain + dairy-free) – serve berries with coconut cream.