Berry Pudding

Based on a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
INGREDIENTS

• 1 package Hawaiian Sweet Bread or Lady Fingers
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/2 C apricot preserves or orange marmalade
• Amounts listed ± of any four desired fruits to total 30-35 ounces
  • 10 oz Strawberries
  • 8 oz Blueberries
  • 4 oz Blackberries
  • 4 oz Lingonberries
  • 4 oz Raspberries
  • etc

STEP BY STEP

1. Cut tops and bottoms off Sweet Bread – Resulting bread slices should be about 1/4 inch in thickness.
2. Toast sweet bread in convection oven at 350º for 5-10 minutes
3. Toss together all fruit with sugar
4. Heat half of fruit mixture on medium high heat for about 5 minutes
5. Remove from heat and mix in remaining fruit
6. Let rest 5 minutes
7. Strain fruit, retaining liquid – Let rest in strainer 10 minutes
8. Line bread pan with plastic wrap leaving quite a bit of overlap (will be wrapped later)
   You can use any type of container really.  A jello mold looks pretty good too.
   You can use a ring mold, a mixing bowl, etc.  Use whatever you have.
9. Cut a piece of cardboard out to fit just barely inside the walls of the bread pan.
   The reason for this will become apparent later.
10. Heat 2 tsp gelatin with 2 TBL water in microwave to boil
11. Toss in with 1/2 C fruit preserves
12. Gently fold in berries
13. Soak bread in berry juice and line bottom of pan
14. Dump in berry mixture
15. Soak second bread layer in berry juice
16. Mix any remaining juice with 1/2 C rum, amaretto or grand marnier
17. Pour equally over top of second layer
18. Finish wrapping bread and berries with the plastic overlapping the bread pan
19. Lay one more sheet of plastic wrap flat over the top of the mixture
20. Place the cardboard (Step 9) over top of the flat plastic sheet
21. Weight the entire mixture down with three or four cans of soup, tuna, whatever.
22. Refrigerate for 8-36 hours
23. When ready to serve, remove the cans, cardboard and flat plastic wrap
24. Uncover the loaf from the rest of the plastic wrap, pulling down the sides
25. Invert the loaf onto a serving platter
26. Remove the pan and remove the remaining plastic
27. Clean up the plate and cut into nice thick slices
28. Serve with whipped topping (see below)
    WHIPPED TOPPING
29. Beat 1 C chilled whipping cream to semi-stiff peaks
30. Fold in 1 TBL confectioners sugar or 1 TBL honey
31. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of the slice