The soft bread, tart summer fruits and sweet scarlet syrup of a classic summer pudding are too good for a once-a-year treat. But the recipe is quite a task – topping and tailing the currants, slicing the bread and lining the tin. Then there is the overnight wait as the pudding does its thing. Here is a quick version for midweek. Remove the stalks from 150g of redcurrants and 225g of blackcurrants. Put them in a deep-sided pan with 3 tbsp of sugar and 4 tbsp of water and bring to the boil. Tip in 200g of blackberries, remove from the heat and set aside. Cut 4 thick slices of white bread or brioche into pieces (I like to cut them into soldiers, but it is very much up to you) place them in a single layer on a baking tray then scatter them with a thin layer of icing sugar. Light an overhead (oven) grill, then toast the bread till the sugar starts to caramelise. Spoon the fruit and its juice into shallow bowls (a soup plate is ideal) then place the toasted sweet bread on top. Serve a jug of cream or a bowl of whipped cream at the table. Enough for 4. The quickest way to de-stalk the currants is to hold a stem by its end and pull the currants away with your other hand, rather than trying to remove each stalk individually. Brioche works beautifully here, particularly when toasted, but milk bread is good, too. Use raspberries in place of the blackberries if you prefer, but the heart and soul of the pudding should be the currants. I serve this warm but you can chill the fruits if you prefer. Make the sweet toast at the last minute to ensure that it stays crisp. Another way to serve this is to make the toast in one piece, then spoon the fruit and cream over the top, letting the juices soak into the toasted bread.