English Summer Pudding
The British are known for royal weddings, TV crime series, fanatic paparazzi, and… summer pudding (among other things, of course). But this isn’t your grandma’s pudding: Summer pudding is a simple, chilled dessert made with just bread and berries, and served with whipped or clotted cream, depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Who calls that ‘pudding’?!” Channeling Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Fun fact: In Britain, “pudding” is what they usually call any dessert, unless it refers to a specific dish, like Yorkshire pudding. Which is basically a type of muffin. And still not pudding.
Myriad (and confusing) pudding definitions aside, this pudding uses all my favorite berries — strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries — with a little honey to cut any tartness. And then there’s the bread that soaks up all the gorgeous berry juices. This recipe is a great way to use those “ugly” berries that don’t make the Instagram cut, but you can also use frozen berries, too.
Did I mention there’s no cooking involved? But you will have to wait 24 hours for all that goodness to meld together; that just makes it a great “pudding” to make ahead for your next barbecue or dinner party. Assemble, stick it in the fridge, and take it out right before serving. Easiest. Dessert. Ever.
Ingredients:
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 8 slices low-sodium sprouted whole-grain bread, crusts removed, divided use
- ¾ cup fresh (or thawed frozen) sliced strawberries
- ½ cup fresh (or thawed frozen) blackberries
- ½ cup fresh (or thawed frozen) blueberries
- ¼ cup fresh (or thawed frozen) raspberries
- 2 tbsp. raw honey
- 6 tsp. reduced-fat (2%) plain yogurt
Instructions
Here are your instructions:
Line a 2-quart dish, lightly coated with spray, with 4 slices of bread. Set aside.
Combine strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and honey in a large bowl; slightly mash berries. Mix well.
Top bread with berries and remaining 4 slices bread.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap; top with something heavy, like a saucepan. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Portion pudding into 8 serving bowls; top each with 1 tsp. yogurt.
Recipe Notes
