Mini Summer Puddings

Line the six pudding basins with the bread. You will probably find you need two halves to line the sides, a quarter to fit the base, and - once you have added the fruit - another quarter or two to fit the top. Make sure the basins are well lined - you don’t want any gaps or the puddings could collapse when you turn them out.

Put the fruit in a pan with the caster sugar and 250ml water. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the berries start to soften and release their juices. Test for sweetness and add a little more sugar if needed. Spoon some of the juice into the basins so the bread starts to soak it up. Divide the berries among the basins, pushing them down so you can pack in as many as possible and letting the bread absorb the juice - you do not want any white bread showing when you turn the puddings out. Cover the tops of the berries with the remaining bread, then spoon over the last of the juice until no white bread is visible. Leave to cool. Cover each basin tightly with cling film and freeze.

To serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature. Turn out onto individual serving plates. Dust with icing sugar before serving, if you like.