Red berry pudding (Rote Grütze)

1. Pit the sour cherries, quarter the strawberries and strip the currants from their stalks; just pick over the raspberries.

2. Bring most of the cherry juice to the boil with the sugar and scraped vanilla; add the cherries and currants and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Stir the remaining juice with the starch until smooth and pour into the hot fruit, stirring constantly; boil for 1 minute until thick and glossy.

4. Take off the heat and gently fold in the strawberries and raspberries - the residual heat only warms them, so they keep their shape.

5. Spoon into glasses or bowls and chill for at least 2 hours.

6. Serve with lightly whipped cream sweetened with vanilla sugar (or vanilla sauce).

Tip: Frozen berries make it wonderful in winter too - no need to thaw them first.