Turning on the oven in summer to bake a pudding may not sound as good as reaching into the freezer, but I promise it’s worth the extra heat. If you’re lucky enough to pick fruit straight from a sun-warmed branch or bush, eat it straight away just as it is, but otherwise take the hit and stick it in the oven. A baked fruit pudding will bring out the memory of the sun in whatever fruit you have, and these two provide a perfect vehicle for sopping up all those verdant juices – and for plenty of ice-cream and/or cream.
Gooseberry and elderflower clafoutis (pictured top)
Clafoutis will suit any soft fruit. Keep an eye out for unusual berries and fruit such as sour cherries, tayberries, jostaberries, or (if you should be so lucky) mulberries. The elderflower cordial makes everything taste of summer.
Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 6-8
350g gooseberries, topped and tailed
50g caster sugar
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
Soft butter, for greasing
Demerara sugar, for dusting
2 eggs
270ml whole milk
20g unsalted butter, melted
30g light brown sugar
A pinch of salt
70g plain flour
Lightly crush the gooseberries, toss them in the sugar and a tablespoon of the elderflower cordial, then set aside. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7.
Generously brush soft butter over a small roasting dish (I used a 23cm x 14cm stoneware one), then coat with demerara sugar to create a crust.
Combine the eggs, milk, melted butter and the remaining two tablespoons of elderflower cordial, then whisk well. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, salt and flour, then make a well in the centre. Pour the liquids into the well and mix to create a smooth batter.
Tip the macerated gooseberries and their juices into the prepared oven dish, then pour the batter all over the fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the clafoutis has a gentle wobble in the middle. Serve warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream or a glug of cold cream.
Cherry and apricot brown betty
Brown bettys are part of the glorious family of baked fruit puddings that includes crumbles, cobblers and slumps. Normally, apples are the fruit of choice, but brown bettys are also a wonderful way to showcase any peak-season stone fruit. I’ve gone for cherries and apricots here, but peaches and, later in summer, plums will be delicious, too.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 6
225g day-old wholemeal rustic bread
50g demerara sugar
A pinch of salt
100g unsalted butter
50g golden syrup
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground mace
400g pitted cherries
300g fresh apricots, stoned and chopped into chunks
100g dried apricots, chopped into chunks
40g caster sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7, and blitz the bread to coarse crumbs in a food processor – you want a bit of texture, so err on the chunkier side. Spread the breadcrumbs out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for five to seven minutes, until very lightly toasted. Leave to cool, then toss with the demerara sugar and salt.
Heat the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat, until it starts to caramelise and smell deeply nutty – you’re looking for a deep-brown butter. Take off the heat and stir in the golden syrup and spices.
Put the fruit, caster sugar and lemon juice in a shallow casserole dish and set it over a low heat. Cook for a few minutes, until the fruit releases its juices (squash it slightly, to help things along). Off the heat, top the fruit mix with an even layer of the breadcrumbs, then pour the brown butter mix all over the top. Cover with a lid or foil, bake for 20 minutes, then take off the lid and bake for another 10 minutes, until the edges of the breadcrumbs are crisp and golden.
Leave to cool slightly before serving with plenty of custard.
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Anna Higham will open Quince Bakery in London later this summer, and is the author of The Last Bite A Whole New Approach to Making Desserts Through the Year, published by DK at £22. To order a copy for £19.36, go to guardianbookshop.com.
