'Hedgerow’ for two reasons – firstly for its brambly mix of blackberries and rosehip, and secondly because this is perfect picnic fodder! Yes, after an overnight stint in the fridge, this pudding (still in its bowl, of course) is perfectly portable. I picture an entourage of EM Forster characters, venturing forth in crisp white linen to unmould the pudding in a summer meadow – the perfect (Howard’s) end to a meal al fresco. In reality, the last time I did this was a drizzly Mother’s Day at a soulless picnic park in Derbyshire.
The weighting process involved is not unlike pressing flowers. How lovely then to trap little fresh mint leaves against the side of the bowl. If your gluten free bread is sturdy, you can dip it into the magenta juices before assembly – if fragile, best live with a gently dappled finish of pink and white and serve a jug of spare berry sauce on the side. Just when you thought this pudding couldn’t be more summery, try stirring a little Sipsmith’s Summer Cup into crème fraîche – the delicate blend of tea and cucumber is an idyllic August day on a dessertspoon.
- 225g blackberries
- 150g redcurrants, plus a sprig or two for decoration
- 300g strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2–3 tbsp rosehip syrup
- a few small mint leaves or edible flower petals (optional)
- 400g white sliced gluten free bread, crusts trimmed off
- To serve 200ml crème fraîche & Sipsmith’s Summer Cup, to taste
- Put the fruit in a large saucepan with the rosehip syrup and heat gently until the berries soften and produce juice. Do not let it overcook and become too mushy. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
- In a 1.2-litre (2-pint) pudding basin, press mint leaves or edible petals (if using) against the base and sides.
- Trap them by lining the basin with all but 2 slices of the bread, overlapping slightly so there are no gaps and leaving a little collar of bread at the top of the basin.
- Fill the bread-lined basin with the fruit, saving the juices and any spare bits of fruit in a jug.
- Place the last couple of slices of bread on top of the fruit and carefully fold the collar of bread over, checking that there are no obvious gaps.
- Place a small plate (or ideally the loose bottom from a 15cm (6in) cake tin) on top and then put a heavy weight on this.
- Chill in the fridge, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, mix the Sipsmith’s with the crème fraîche.
- Remove the weights and plate and carefully slide a thin knife or palette knife around the edge of the pudding. Upturn onto a plate or cake stand and serve with the leftover juices and the crème fraîche.