Dessert: Summer Berry Pudding

Recipe by /contributors/chris-ford Chris Ford, pastry chef at Washington, D.C.'s Rogue 24, brings this British-style "pudding" to picnics and BBQs. Serve with whipped cream and more berries.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Summer Berry Pudding

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

2 pints strawberries, hulled, quartered
2 pints blueberries
2 pints blackberries
2 pints raspberries
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 1-pound loaf brioche or challah bread, cut crosswise into 1" slices
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Special equipment: A 9"-10"-diameter springform pan

Instructions

Line pan with plastic wrap. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Combine all berries, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a large pot. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Set berry sauce aside.
Spread bread slices with butter. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over bread slices.
Drizzle 1/2 cup warm berry sauce over bottom of pan. Line pan with a single layer of bread, cutting to fit as needed. Pour 1 1/2 cups berry sauce over. Repeat layering 2 more times. Pour any remaining sauce over. Cover with plastic. Set a plate slightly smaller than pan on top of pudding to weigh down, keeping bread submerged. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Remove plate and plastic from top of pudding. Invert onto a plate. Release pan sides; remove pan and plastic.