"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> graham wrote:
>>
>> "Dora" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >
>> > This is very good. It is best to use a bread with good texture - no
>> > Wonder bread here!
>> >
>> > Dora
>> >
>> >
>> > * Exported from MasterCook *
>> >
>> > Summer Pudding/Autumn Pudding
>> >
>> > 1 1/2 pounds prepared fruit (see directions)
>> > 5 tablespoons water
>> > 6 or 8 slices bread -- crusts removed
>> > 4 ounces sugar
>> > fresh fruit and mint sprigs, to decorate
>> >
>> > The fruit for Summer Pudding is typically a mixture of raspberries,
>> > strawberries, stoned cherries, redcurrants, blackcurrants,
>> > gooseberries,
>> > rhubarb, blueberries.
>> >
>> > For Autumn Pudding, use a mixture of fruits such as apples,
>> > blackberries,
>> > plums and pears.
>> >
>> > Gently stew the fruit in the water and sugar until soft but still
>> > retaining their shape.
>> >
>> > Meanwhile, cut a round from one slice of bread to neatly fit in the
>> > bottom
>> > of a 2-pint pudding basin (I use a round bowl) and cut 4-6 of the
>> > remaining slices into neat fingers. Arrange the fingers around the
>> > sides,
>> > overlapping them so there are no spaces.
>> >
>> > When the fruit is cooked and still hot, pour it gently into the basin,
>> > being careful not to disturb the bread pieces. Reserve about 3
>> > tablespoons of the juice. When the basin is full, cut the remaining
>> > bread
>> > and use to cover the fruit, to form a lid. Cover with foil, then a
>> > plate
>> > or saucer which fits just inside the bowl and put a weight on top.
>> > Leave
>> > the pudding until cold, then put into the refrigerator and chill
>> > overnight.
>> >
>> > To serve, carefully run a knife round the edge to loosen, then invert
>> > the
>> > pudding on to a serving dish. Pour the reserved juice over the top.
>> > Serve cold with cream. Decorate with fruit and mint sprigs.
>> >
>> > Description:
>> > "Dessert"
>> > Source:
>> > "Helen's Internet Book of British Cooking"
>> >
>> > NOTES : Make this a day ahead, so that it has time to steep in its own
>> > juices.
>>
>> The success of Summer Pudding (not Autumn Pudding) depends on the brevity
>> of
>> the cooking. It should be minimal, just enough to get the juices flowing
>> from the soft fruit without many of them breaking down. Overcooking
>> results
>> in a jammy flavour. I have found that frozen fruit on thawing yields a
>> lot
>> of juice so I use a mix of fresh and frozen raspberries, redcurrants and
>> blackcurrants and dissolve the sugar in the juice placing the uncooked
>> fruit
>> directly into the bread-lined basin. The resulting flavour is intense.
>> Graham
>
> Have never made Summer Pudding with *cooked* fruit at all. Always raw
> (sliced or crushed slightly), incubated with a bit of sugar to draw out
> the juices.
>
Using the juice from the frozen fruit amounts to the same thing.
I think the only reason in the standard recipe to cook the fruit briefly is
to dissolve the sugar in the juice as it runs from the fruit. "Cook" is
rather a strong word. "warm" would perhaps be more apposite.
Graham