A sweet, berry-filled summer pudding is topped with a delicately flavoured meadowsweet flower cream in this Redwall inspired dessert.
a feast at redwall abbey
Set in the fictional Mossflower Woods, the enchanting world of Redwall revolves around the adventures of its anthropomorphic animal inhabitants. Brain Jacques’ beloved children’s stories tell the heroic stories of the creatures who live in Redwall Abbey and battle many a villain. Jacques’ rich imagery surrounding the many feasts in Redwall provide the perfect inspiration for a lavish feast. Join along with Matthias and Cornflower, as we explore the wondrous culinary delights of Redwall.
A Summer Pudding
The many feasts of Redwall feature plenty of different kinds of sweet cream. From whipped cream and honeyed cream to pouring cream and sweet meadow custard, the creatures of Mossflower Woods love indulging in this rich treat. Fragrant meadowsweet flowers are perfect for creating our very own sweet meadow cream. A fresh and fruity summer pudding, packed with juicy berries, is the perfect dessert to highlight this unique sweet cream!
Ingredient Notes
Berries: Summer pudding can be made any variety of berries that you prefer. While I prefer to use fresh berries for this dessert, you could use frozen if necessary.
Crème de cassis: Crème de cassis is blackcurrant liqueur made primarily, though not exclusively, in France. I like adding a splash to the berry mixture although you could substitute with another berry liqueur such as chambord or framboise. It can be omitted to make this recipe non-alcoholic.
Meadowsweet flowers: Native to Europe and Asia, meadowsweet is a ground cover plant that thrives in damp meadows. It’s small white flowers have a sweet aroma making it a popular addition in potpourri. In small doses, meadowsweet is safe to consume. It does have similar properties to aspirin and should be avoided by people who are sensitive to aspirin. You can order it online here. If you don’t have meadowsweet, you can simply omit it or substitute with dried chamomile flowers if you want a floral flavour.
how to make summer pudding with meadowsweet cream
Make the summer pudding
Line an 8-cup mixing bowl or pudding basin with two layers of cling film. Cut the crusts off the bread. Place one slice of bread in the bottom of the bowl. Set aside 4 or 5 slices of bread for the top. Line the rest of the slices around the inside of the bowl, overlapping as needed.
In a saucepan, combine the blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Add 1 cup sugar and the water. Place over medium heat and cook until the berries begin to release their juices. Add the raspberries partway through cooking to prevent them breaking down too much. Simmer the berries for a couple of minutes until they are juicy but still retain their shape. Add the crème de cassis and lemon juice and remove from the heat.
Use a ladle to spoon the berries along with all the juice into the bread-lined bowl. Arrange the remaining bread slices on top of the berries. Cover the bowl with cling film. Place a plate on top of the pudding and top with a couple of heavy cans. Refrigerate overnight to set.
Make the meadowsweet cream
Fill two empty tea bags with the meadowsweet flowers. Alternatively, use several layers of cheesecloth to tie the flowers up into bundle. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream. Heat the cream just until hot but before it comes to a simmer. Add the tea bags or bundle and allow to cool.
Transfer the cream along with the tea bags to a container. Cover and chill overnight.
Serve the Summer Pudding with Meadowsweet Cream
To serve, remove the tea bags from the cream. Transfer the infused cream to a mixer and beat with a whip attachment. Add the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Flip the summer pudding onto a serving plate and remove the bowl. Peel the cling film off the pudding and top with some of the meadowsweet cream and fresh berries. Cut the pudding into wedges and serve with extra meadowsweet cream. Enjoy!
