Well Hello There!

It's good to see you. How have you been? I know, I know..I've been away a long time. I understand if you don't forgive me, but I thought I'd try to win you over with some nice photos and a little recipe. How does that sound? I understand if you are reluctant...I've been really unreliable about posting anything here for over a year and I cannot say for sure how often I'll be posting again, but I am going to make an effort, I am (my goal is one post per month)! I'll stop apologizing now and get to the recipe!

The 4th of July is tomorrow and I thought I'd try making Summer Pudding. Yes, nothing says Happy Independence Day like a British Dessert! But if you look at my ingredients, they are very patriotic colors, right?

Raspberries, Blueberries and Strawberries are a lovely Red and Blue. Paired with some White Bread (crusts cut off) or Angel Food cake and you've got a great 4th of July color scheme!

So, what does one need for this dessert? It's so simple, and I'm hoping for super delicious, but I won't know until tomorrow when I unmold it (Picture will be posted once the unmolding has taken place...really it will. I know, it's hard to believe me after such a long absence, but a photo will happen).

Summer Pudding:

1 loaf of day old white bread (you want something with a tighter crumb here and stale makes for better soaking of the juices... Wonder bread will not work, it will turn to mush) with the crusts cut off, or one Angel food cake (which is what I am using, bread is traditional, but I thought I'd give the low sugar angel food cake a try)'

2 cups of fresh ripe strawberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
(I'm saying fresh for all the berries, but I have a feeling that frozen would work just fine. Fresh is what I have on hand, so that's what I'm using)
1/4 cup sugar
Cream or Ice cream to garnish (optional, of course)

So, here's what I did:
1. Line a 6 cup capacity bowl with food film leaving enough to hang over the sides so you can wrap the pudding once you have it assembled. Slice the bread or angel food cake into 1/4 inch slices (cut off the crust if you are using bread). Line the bowls' bottom and sides with the bread (or cake), leaving a few slices for the top:2. Place the Raspberries, blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until the berries release some juice. Remove from heat and let cool:3. Mash the strawberries either in the food processor (just pulse it a few times) or with a potato masher, which is what I did (this is just a photo of the initial mashing. I mushed them up a bit more until they were rather saucey):4. Mix the strawberries together with the raspberry/blueberry mixture, and pour into the bread (or cake) lined bowl:
5. Place a few slices of bread (or cake) over the top to cover the berries like so (or you can be neater about it):
6. Wrap the cling wrap over the top of the bread to seal it in and then place a plate that is just smaller than the bowl on top and place a can of something on that to weigh it down:

(I don't have a photo of it weighed down, but you get the idea)
7. Refridgerate overnight and unmold the next day (I'll show the turned out pudding tomorrow, complete with garnish).

What you are hoping to achieve is a lovely fruit soaked bread-y pudding-y brightly colored dessert. We shall see tomorrow if I have achieved that! Photo's to follow!

Do you forgive me for my absence yet?