By Maggie Beer

Serving size: Serves 8
Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Favourite flavours: Easy recipes

Maggie Beer cooked this delicious recipe on The Australian Women's Weekly's Christmas TV special.

INGREDIENTS

750g raspberries
330g blackberries
110g mulberries (if large, cut in half)
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) verjuice
8-10 slices white sandwich bread
Cream or ice-cream for serving

METHOD

1. Combine the berries to together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Place the caster sugar and Verjuice in a large pan and place over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the berries and cook until they have softened, give them a good gentle stir, but avoid breaking them up to much. Strain the berries, reserve syrup. Allow the fruit to completely cool.

3. Place the reserved syrup in a saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered and reduce by half (approximately 5 minutes) or until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Remove the crusts from the bread. Reserve 2 whole slices to form the lid. Cut a circle out of 1 of the remaining slices to line the base of a 1Litre capacity pudding basin. Trim the remaining slices to fit to line the sides of the basin.

5. Brush one side of the circle piece of bread with a good amount of the reduced syrup and place syrup-side down in basin. Brush one side of the remaining bread pieces with a good amount of the syrup. Position the pieces syrup-side down, around the side of pudding basin, overlapping slightly.

6. Spoon the berry mixture into the basin. Cut the 2 reserved slices to fit the top as a lid, brush a good amount of the syrup onto these pieces and arrange them over the berries; cover with the plastic wrap. Place a small plate on top of pudding, place cans (or other weights) on the pudding; refrigerate overnight.

7. Turn the pudding onto plate, brush with the remaining syrup. Serve the pudding in wedges with remaining syrup, cream or ice-cream.

Maggie's tips: This dessert is best made a day ahead. If Youngberries are available substitute them for the mulberries.