Summer Berry Pudding

There is this recipe of Ina’s that I have been wanting to make for years.  Yes, I know I have been cooking from her books a lot lately, but this one really sticks out in my mind during the summer, for obvious reasons.  It is stunning to look at and uses very simple ingredients; just like most of her recipes.  When we had company over recently, I was thrilled to be able to finally give this a try. Ummm…yeah.  So it is fantastic.  It has to sit overnight so it is the perfect dessert to make ahead of time when you don’t want to be messing with stuff the day of an event.  So beautiful.

One Year Ago: Stuffed Shells

Summer Berry Pudding
This is a traditional English dessert and I will mention again-it needs to sit overnight, so plan ahead.  Absolutely serve it with fresh whipped cream.

1-1 lb container of strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and cut into fourths
1 pint of raspberries
1 pint of blueberries
1 1/2 c sugar
1 loaf of brioche or sweet Italian bread

Combine fruit and sugar in a large saucepan with a splash of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Once the sugar is dissolved and the fruit starts to break down, remove from heat and set aside.  Slice the bread into 1/2 inch thick slices and, if desired, remove the crusts.  Spoon a ladle full of the berry sauce into the bottom of a  3-4 inch high, 6-7 inch round baking dish.  You want just enough to coat the bottom.  Cover with a layer of bread slices, cutting to fit so that it is completely covered in one layer.  Generously spoon another ladle of berries and sauce over the bread, covering it all.  Add another layer of bread and so on until you reach the top of the dish.  Soak the last layer good-don’t skimp!  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set a plate on top that is slightly smaller than the baking dish.  Weight the top with a can of soup or something else that will stay.  Place the whole thing into the fridge and let set overnight.  When you are ready to serve it, run a small knife along the outside edge and invert onto a serving plate.  Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream.