BBC TV recipes

Elderflower season may be over, but if you have a bottle of the cordial in the cupboard, you can keep the flavour going all summer long

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Rosie Birkett's summer pudding with elderflower

I adore summer pudding. The way the blush syrup of ripe, lush summer berries bleeds into the bread makes my knees wobble a little. Using sourdough gives a pleasing sturdiness and slight sourness that works well with the sweetness of the fruit and elderflower. It must always be served with oodles of cream or crème fraîche.

Serves 4 Prep 20 mins plus overnight chilling Cook 5 mins VEGETARIAN 

4 tbsp caster sugar

800g mixed seasonal fruit (strawberries, cherries, gooseberries and raspberries)

3 tbsp elderflower cordial butter, for the pudding basin

½ loaf of stale white sourdough, crusts removed, sliced

cream or crème fraîche, to serve

1 Bring 350ml water to the boil in a large pan with the sugar, stirring to dissolve it. Add the fruit, bring back to a simmer, then stir and turn off the heat. Add the cordial, stir and transfer to a dish to cool.

2 Lightly butter a 1-litre pudding basin, line it with wrap, butter the wrap, then arrange the slices of bread around the basin, pressing them up against each other. You'll need two round discs of bread for the bottom and top of the basin, one slightly larger than the other. Place the smaller disc at the bottom of the basin. Fill the bread-lined basin with the fruit and syrup, right to the top, keeping any leftover fruit and syrup for serving. Place the larger bread disc on the top and put the basin on a baking tray. Cover with a plate that sits just inside the basin, then weigh that down with a heavy mortar or tin and put the pudding in the fridge to chill overnight.

3 Turn out carefully onto a plate and serve with plenty of cream or crème fraîche and any leftover fruit and syrup.