Red Berry Pudding (Danish Rødgrød Med Fløde)

Rødgrød med fløde, red berry pudding with cream, is the hallmark dessert of Denmark. Use tart berries like red currants if you can find them. If you use strawberries instead, reduce the amount of sugar so it isn't too sweet. There are seemingly limitless variations and many recipes include rhubarb as well.

1½ lbs red berries or fruit (red currants, black currants, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb or a combination)
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch, dissolved in ½ cup cold water
1 cup heavy cream, plain or whipped with 1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar

Clean the fruit well. If using rhubarb, chop it into 1" pieces.

Place the fruit into a nonreactive saucepan and cover with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the fruit falls apart.

Remove from heat and strain juice through a cheesecloth or a fine-meshed sieve. Discard the berry seeds.

Return juice to heat, stir in sugar and bring to a low boil.

Reduce heat to medium and add the dissolved potato flour or cornstarch liquid to thicken. Stir the mixture constantly until it begins to gel to the consistency of heavy syrup.

Remove from heat, pour into individual serving bowls, cover with cling wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to two days.

Serve chilled with either plain or whipped cream sweetened with vanilla sugar.

Makes 6 servings.