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Iced berry pud

By Angela Nilsen

This pudding is so simple, you almost feel you’ve cheated – it looks like a Christmas pud but is altogether different

Prep:30 mins
Plus 2½ hrs chilling and overnight freezing

Serves 8
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 385
fat 20g
saturates 13g
carbs 44g
sugars 19g
fibre 1g
protein 3g
salt 0.17g

Ingredients

284ml carton double cream
500g carton good-quality ready made custard
100g golden caster sugar
100ml/3½ fl oz dark rum, plus 1 tbsp extra
170g packet dried berries and cherries (or same weight mix of dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries and raisins)
sprigs of sugar-frosted bay leaves and little bunches of sugar-frosted red and green grapes, to decorate

Tip

To make the decorations
Lay the grapes and bay leaves on kitchen paper on a small tray. Lightly beat 1 egg white, then brush all over the grapes and leaves. Roll or sprinkle with caster sugar to cover, then leave to dry. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Method

Whip the cream in a big bowl so it is softly whipped, then stir in the custard. Put this in the freezer for about an hour and a half, until it is starting to freeze around the edges.
Meanwhile, put the sugar in a pan with 100ml/31?2fl oz rum. Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved, tip in the fruits, and simmer gently for one minute to plump up the fruit. Pour everything into a wide bowl (so it cools as quickly as possible), and leave until cold (about an hour). Add the extra tablespoon of rum for a bit more kick.
Stir the cream and custard with a balloon whisk to break it all up, then stir in the cooled fruit. Pour the mixture into a 1.2 litre/ 2 pint pudding basin, cover and freeze overnight until firm (or for up to 1 month).
To serve, dip the basin quickly into boiling water to loosen the pudding, go round the sides with a round-bladed knife, then turn the pudding out onto a serving plate. Decorate with clusters of frosted bay leaves and grapes (see 'how to make the decorations') around the base.