Sheila Benson and Sean Millar
FRUIT is full of nutrients and a great source of Vitamin C, but fruits like blueberries can inhibit mechanisms of cancer cell development and may even alleviate the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s.
And, although we see rhubarb as quintessentially English, it has a long history as a medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine.
So why not indulge in one of our delicious summer fruit puddings?
Try Torta di Verona. For the pudding mixture you’ll need 8 eggs, 1k (2.2 lbs) of mascarpone and 515g (18.1oz) of caster sugar. For the filling you need 150ml of sweet marsala, 150ml of amaretto liqueur, 750g (26.4 oz) panettone, 120g (4.2oz) flaked almonds, 250g (8.8 oz) of blueberries and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
Whisk the egg yolks, mascarpone and 150g (5.2 oz) of caster sugar until stiff, transfer to a large bowl. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, slowly add the 150g sugar and whisk to stiff peaks. Using a large metal spoon fold one third of the egg white mixture into the mascarpone mixture, then fold in the remainder.
Combine the alcohol in a bowl, remove the crusts from the panettone and slice into 8. Next, layer a large pudding dish with half the panettone, brush with half the alcohol and spread over the mascarpone mixture, repeat so you have two layers, then refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160c and make syrup, dissolve one tablespoon of sugar with 60ml water in a small pan over a low heat. Combine the almonds with 55g (1.9 oz) of sugar in a bowl and stir in the syrup, mix well then spread onto a baking paper lined oven tray and bake for 15 minutes until crisp and golden.