Berries and Buttermilk Puddings

From the kitchen of Carly

Silky buttermilk pudding infused with vanilla bean and set just right with gelatin. Top with a tart red wine berry compote finished with citrus zest. Light, elegant, and surprisingly simple to pull together for dessert.

Berries and Buttermilk Puddings

Buttermilk puddings set custard-soft and tangy against a wine-stewed strawberry sauce that tastes like the berry itself distilled. The real trick is not overworking the gelatin, cold milk with barely dissolved sugar and vanilla that cradles fruit without pretense. Make these a day ahead and finish them fresh, berries balanced on top like the best reason to eat dessert slowly.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 tspunflavored gelatin
  • 1 cupwhole milk, divided
  • 1/2vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 6 tbspsugar
  • 1 cupwell-shaken buttermilk
  • 1/4 cupdry red wine
  • 1/4 cupwater
  • 3 tbspsugar
  • 1strip lemon zest
  • 1strip orange zest
  • 1Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
  • 1 cupquartered strawberries
  • 2 cupmixed berries
  • 1Equipment: 4 bowls or wide glasses

Instructions

  1. Pour 1/4 cup of milk into a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the surface, and let it soften for 1 minute.

  2. Scrape the vanilla seeds directly into a small heavy saucepan and drop in the pod. Pour in the remaining 3/4 cup of milk, add the sugar, and set over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just reaches a boil. Pull the pan off the heat, then add the gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Set the pan in an ice bath and stir occasionally until the mixture is cold but not yet thickened, about 5 minutes.

  3. Stir in the buttermilk, then pour everything through a fine-mesh sieve into a large glass measure, pressing lightly and discarding the solids. Divide among 4 bowls or wide glasses and refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours.

  4. Combine the wine, water, sugar, zests, and bay leaf in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes to a boil. Keep it boiling until reduced to about 1/3 cup, roughly 10 minutes.

  5. Tumble in the strawberries and simmer for 5 minutes. Fish out the zests and bay leaf, then carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, keeping a folded towel over the lid to guard against the heat. Force the puree through a clean fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids.

  6. Refrigerate the sauce, stirring occasionally, until completely cold, about 1 hour.

  7. Spoon the sauce generously over each pudding and scatter the mixed berries on top.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Don't skip the ice bath after adding gelatin to the warm milk. You need it cold but still pourable before stirring in buttermilk, or the pudding will break.
  • Force the strained strawberry sauce through a fine-mesh sieve a second time for silky sauce with no grit. Worth the extra step.
  • These taste better the next day when flavors settle. Make them up to 2 days ahead, top with fresh berries just before serving.
  • If your gelatin isn't fully dissolved in the hot milk step, give the mixture a gentle whisk and wait another minute. Lumps won't incorporate later.

Variations

  • Blackberry version: swap blackberries for strawberries in the sauce and skip the wine if you want something softer and less tannic.
  • Citrus cream: add a tablespoon of lemon juice or orange liqueur to the buttermilk before straining for sharper, brighter pudding.
  • Make it set up faster: use 1.5 teaspoons gelatin instead of 1 teaspoon and chill 6 hours instead of 8.
  • Cherry and port: replace the red wine and strawberries with port and fresh or frozen cherries, increase sugar to 4 tablespoons in the sauce.

Make ahead and storage

Keep covered in the fridge up to 2 days. Top with fresh berries and sauce only when you're ready to eat. Don't freeze, gelatin breaks down."