Vegan Spiced Berry Pudding

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into a small saucepan, then add the pod, berries, spices, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Line two 200 ml pudding moulds with cling film. Remove the crusts from the bread, cut each slice in half and use the bread to line the moulds. Remove the vanilla pod, cinnamon stick and star anise from the cooled berry mixture, then divide the berries between the moulds. Cover with the remaining bread.

Cover with cling film, place a small weight on top and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Chill the remaining berries and syrup separately.

Turn the puddings out onto serving plates and brush with a little of the reserved syrup if needed. Spoon over the remaining berries and syrup.

Finish with crème fraîche and chopped pistachios, if desired, and serve immediately.

Freeze the leftover bread crusts to make breadcrumbs for another recipe.