Recipe - High-Summer Pudding

One fourth cup Cranberry or cranraspberry
juice cocktail
2 One half tablespoon Blackberry brandy or kirsch
(cherry brandy)
Or orange juice
1 Envelope plus 1 One half tsp
unflavored gelatin
1 pound Red or black plums, pitted
and chopped (56 medium)
1 cup Sugar
1 One fourth pound Fresh peaches, peeled,
pitted and chopped (45
medium)
2 One half cup Fresh blackberries or black
or red raspberries
1 tablespoon Finely grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
15 sl Thin cut or sliced up homemadestyle
white bread (such as

Pepperidge Farm), crusts removed

Line a 2quart bowl or mold with plastic wrap, carefully smoothing the wrap
onto the bottom and sides so that the plastic hangs 1 inch over sides. In a
small bowl, mix cranberry juice and brandy, kirsch or orange juice and
sprinkle gelatin over the surface; let stand 5 minutes until softened.

Combine plums, sugar and gelatin mixture in a mediumsized saucepan. Bring
to a simmer over medium heat, stirring for 34 minutes until the gelatin
dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes. Add peaches and
simmer for about 5 minutes longer, until the peaches are almost tender.
Stir in blackberries, lemon zest and cinnamon and simmer 34 minutes
longer, until the berries begin to release their juice. Refrigerate.

Arrange bread slices in the bottom of the bowl or mold, cutting as needed
and fitting them tightly together. Arrange more slices all around the sides
of the dish, fitting them together tightly and smoothly. Taking care not to
dislodge the bread, spoon the fruit mixture into the center of the dish,
tilting the dish to distribute the fruit evenly. If the bread extends more
than One fourth inch above the layer of fruit, trim it with a knife. Cover the
fruit with another layer of bread, patting it down firmly. Stack several
saucers or small plates on the bread to weight down the pudding.
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

To serve: Invert the bowl over a serving plate, tugging the overhanging
plastic wrap to loosen the pudding from the dish. Center the pudding on the
serving plate and peel off the plastic wrap. Serve immediately, cut into
wedges. Serves 6.

Per serving: 370 calories, 7 g protein, 2 g fat, 85 g carbohydrate, 279 mg
sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini