WITH Australian raspberries and blackberries at their “berry best” this season, thanks to the cold snaps that swept the eastern states earlier in the year, it’s time to enjoy this versatile fruit.
Berries are a healthy and tasty snack that can be enjoyed fresh on their own or can be added to meals for a decadent touch.
Here are a few recipes to help you enjoy these great tasting berries.
Berry yoghurt swirl popsicles
(Makes 8)
Prep time: 15 mins, Chill time: 2 hours
Raspberry puree
125g raspberries
2 tablespoons caster sugar
Blackberry puree
125g blackberries
2 tablespoons caster sugar
Vanilla yogurt mixture
2 cups (500ml) Greek style natural yogurt
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make each puree, separately blend berries and sugar in a food processor, strain through a sieve, set aside.
To make yogurt mixture, place all ingredients in a bowl, whisk until combined.
To assemble, pour a few teaspoons of raspberry puree into each 200ml popsicle mould, do the same with the yogurt mix and then the blackberry puree to give 3 layers. Repeat sequence to create more layers.
Gently swirl the layers with a wooden skewer. Cover moulds, insert sticks and freeze for 2 hours or until frozen.
Raspberry and blackberry icy pops (Makes 8)
Prep time: 5 mins, Chill time: 2 hours
250g raspberries, halved
250g blackberries, halved
11/2 cups (375ml) sparkling red grape juice
Place berries into each 200 ml mould, alternating fruit. Pour over the juice to cover berries, pop in handles and freeze for 2 hours or until fully frozen.
Indulgent chocolate and raspberry brownie
(Serves 12)
Prep time 15 mins, Cooking time: 50 mins
240g dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter, chopped
4 eggs, lightly whisked
11/2 cups (330g) brown sugar
11/4 (185g) plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
125g raspberries
Chocolate topping
1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
200g dark eating chocolate, chopped
250g raspberries, to decorate
To make the brownie, preheat oven to 180C (160C fan forced). Lightly spray a 20cm round spring-form cake tin with oil. Line base and sides with baking paper. Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture until combined.
Place the sugar, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth and combined. Fold through the berries. Pour batter into cake tin and bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer withdraws clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before transferring to cooling rack.
To make topping, bring cream to a gentle boil in a small pan over a medium heat, take off heat and add chocolate, stir well to combine. Pour over brownie, then spread it to cover surface entirely, allowing it to drip down the sides. Decorate with raspberries.
Tip: turn the cooled brownie upside down onto a cooling rack or plate before pouring over chocolate topping to ensure a flat top for decorating.