Glazed Autumn Berry Pudding & Meadowsweet Cream

A couple of years ago, I started experimenting with Meadowsweet - a wild plant festooned with flowers that have a honey-like aroma that blooms in late summer and into early autumn.

Finally, after a little bit of rain the wild blackberries (or brambleberries) are starting to swell and close to being perfect for picking! I always pick too many, so after soaking and drying I bag up and place in the freezer.

Glazed Autumn Berry Pudding & Meadowsweet Cream

A couple of years ago, I started experimenting with Meadowsweet – a wild plant festooned with flowers that have a honey-like aroma that blooms in late summer and into early autumn.

My first foray was to make Meadowsweet Cordial with it, and since then it has supplanted Elderflower Cordial, superior as it is in pretty much every way!

Since then, at this time of year I seek to find ways that I can add it into other things, and I’ve always been a believer that what grows together goes together, so no surprises then that I frequently pair Meadowsweet with its seasonal berry cousin, the Blackberry.

This recipe is basically a Summer Pudding but just with a few little twists to elevate it, and really make it work for the seasonal fruits of the year.

Glazed Autumn Berry Pudding,
Meadowsweet Cream

In my recipe, I used four fruits together: fresh blackcurrants and redcurrant, and the final remnants from the freezer of last years’ autumn blackberry harvest, and the early summer Wild Bilberry harvest. Frankly, you can use any fruit for this, although I would suggest staying away from strawberries (fresh or frozen), and maybe just get out there, pick some free, wild blackberries and then see what you can find from you local farmers’ market and go from there!

Glazed Autumn Berry Pudding, Meadowsweet Cream

The addition of a glaze to the pudding make the whole things shine like a jewel, and adding Meadowsweet Cordial to the just whipped cream makes the whole thing sing of early Autumn. A splash of Kinsale Mead, an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey, cherries and blackcurrants, is another nice way to bring a local flavour to the whole dish. And anyway, what is pudding if there isn’t some booze in it somewhere!

A note on the bread used here: I would normally never advocate using white slice bread in anything, but the fact is that it does make a very good structure for this pudding, so I allow it! A half sliced pan is enough for this recipe, and if you can, leave the bread out for a few hours before using so it has dried out a little.

Ingredients:

  • Half pan sliced white loaf
  • No less than 1kg of fruits, fresh or frozen (I used blackcurrants, redcurrants, wild blackberries and bilberries)
  • 175g either golden caster sugar or coconut blossom sugar
  • Generous glug of Kinsale Mead Wild Red Mead
  • 150ml of whipped cream
  • 1tsp Meadowsweet Cordial
  • 1 chocolate covered honeycomb bar, smashed
  • Meadowsweet Flower to garnish

Method:

  • Into a large, heavy bottom pan, place your berries and sugar and bring just to a simmer for enough time for the fruits to break down a little and release their juices.
  • Place a sieve over a bowl and empty out the fruits, collecting the juices underneath. Allow to drain while you prepare your pudding bowl.
  • Butter a 1 litre pudding bowl generously. Set aside.
  • Remove the crusts from each slice of bread. Flatten each slice slightly with a rolling pin.
  • Take one slice, place the base of the pudding bowl on it and cut around the circle using a knife. Cut two slices into triangles, cut the rest into rectangles.
  • Take the collected juice and dip each slice of bread so that it has taken on colour and flavour but can still hold itself.
  • Assemble as follows: start with the circle and place that in the bottom of the bowl. Then the rectangles – overlap them slightly to create a seal. This will also create a pleasing look, kind of like a Bundt cake tin. Then add in the fruits and pack them in tightly. Finally, dip the triangles of bread and place over the opening to seal the whole thing up.
  • Cover the top with either the bowl lid, or a piece of foil, and place in the fridge to set for a minimum of 8 hours, but longer is better.
  • Decant the fruit juices into a airtight container and set aside (don’t put in the fridge).
  • When ready to release the pudding from the bowl, bring the pudding out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 mins.
  • Take off any covering and place a plate over the top. Hold firm and then quickly invert. The pudding should drop out easily. If you have used a plastic pudding bowl, give it a gentle squeeze all around until you hear the pleasing thunk of the pudding hitting the plate.
  • Add the the fruit juices back into a saucepan and add in the Mead. Reduce slowly over a low heat until the mixture is thick and syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Generously glaze the pudding all over with a thick layer of the syrupy fruit juice. It should set almost instantly.
  • While the glaze is setting, whip the cream. Just before it is fully whipped, add in the Meadowsweet Cordia, and then whip again for a few more seconds until it is fully combined.
  • To serve, garnish the pudding with a sprig of fresh Meadowsweet, and around the base of the pudding scatter the broken pieces of chocolate honeycomb. Serve with a generous dollop of the Meadowsweet Whipped Cream.
  • Best served with a glass of something crisp, cool and fizzy!

Enjoy….

Wild Blackberry and Vanilla Jam

Finally, after a little bit of rain the wild blackberries (or brambleberries) are starting to swell and close to being perfect for picking! I always pick too many, so after soaking and drying I bag up and place in the freezer.

Try this simple but tasty jam which you can make from frozen berries for a little bit of luxury to spread on your toast or homemade scones, mix in with your yoghurt, spoon over ice cream or swirl into a comforting bowl of warm rice pudding! The vanilla gives this jam a luxurious velvety flavour.

 

blackberryjam1

Ingredients:

  • 1kg of frozen wild blackberries
  • 500ml cold water
  • 125ml of fresh lemon juice
  • 880g of sugar (normal white sugar is fine here, no need for jam sugar as blackberries are naturally high in pectin)
  • 1 vanilla pod, slice in half lengthways and the seeds scraped out.


Method:


Place the berries, lemon juice and water into a large non-stick pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer the fruit mix uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Add all of the sugar and stir continually over the heat until the sugar is fully disolved.
Add in the vanilla seeds and the halved pod.
Bring the mix back to the boil and leave to boil uncovered stirring occasionally.
Cook the mix for anything from 15 minutes to 30 minutes until you get the right consistency.
The jam should coat the back of a spoon and feel sticky to the touch. Under cook it and it will not set in the jar when cooling and overcooking will make it set hard in the jar and become inedible.
When the jam is at the right consistency dig out the two halves of the vanilla pod and discard.
Sterilise your jam jars – this recipe will fill about 4 of the “Bonne Maman” jam jars.
Fill the jars with your jam when it is hot and fill.
If you properly sterlise your jars, there is no need to add the silicone seal.
These jams will keep in your fridge for about 4 months quite happily.
Label up your jam, and decorate as frivolously as you dare….and Enjoy!

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