Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding

This delectable late-summer treat loaded with tender, sweet blueberries is an easy-to-make homespun version of a classic English berry dessert. Blue smiles and great antioxidant nutrition all around! And there’s no baking necessary.

INGREDIENTS

8-9 slices good-quality thin-sliced white bread
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar or Succanat
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

1. Cut the crusts off the bread. Lightly butter one side of each slice and sprinkle the butter with cinnamon. Use 6 or 7 slices of bread to line a deep 6- to 8-cup bowl, with the buttered sides facing the center. If there are gaps, cut bread to make rough patches. It doesn’t have to be a seamless lining.

2. Combine blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons water in a medium-large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until blueberries release their juice and the sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste blueberry mixture for sweetness and stir in some or all of remaining sugar if sauce is not sweet enough.

3. Pour about half the hot blueberry mixture into the bread-lined bowl. Place the remaining buttered bread slices over the blueberries and pour the rest of the blueberries over the bread. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap; place small plate on the wrap and place a can on the plate as a weight so that all the bread is submerged in the fruit syrup. Set aside at room temperature for 1 to 3 hours or chill for up to 8 hours.

4. If there is a great deal of excess accumulated juice, pour it off (this is the cook’s bonus! Drink now or save for later.) To serve, spoon the pudding into bowls and top with scoops of ice cream if warm or with whipped cream if chilled.

Serves 6.