Raspberry

Berrylicious

Treats

I don’t know about you but I love raspberries!! It is possibly due to the fact that my home in Tipperary is usually filled to the gills with raspberries around this time of year. We have 40 year old raspberry bushes growing in our garden that deliver a whopper crop of berries every year. If you were to open the fridge at home you would be confronted by bowl after bowl of freshly picked berries. More importantly you wouldn’t be able to leave the house without a box of raspberries.20170629_191943.jpgAs I’m travelling away from home, I’m not able to help out this year with the picking, eating, preserving and creating of treats. I’ve decided to share with you my favourite tried and tested raspberry recipes.

Raspberries are at their best right now so find your nearest locally grown crop and taste the goodness of fresh berries. Freezing raspberries is a great option too to allow you keep tasting the goodness all year long.

img_5558-1Chocolate Avocado Mousse Cups – a light chocolate mousse topped with the freshest raspberries.

cheesecakeWhite Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake – ever so decadent but also very delicious.

img_5111Berry & Oat Muffins – any berry is good in these muffins filled with oats.

img_6154Dark Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake – the perfect summer celebration cake.

img_6263Berry & Oat Recharger – whizz up some raspberries for the perfect post-exercise recovery option.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Cups with White Chocolate Filled Raspberries

Treats

Chocolate and raspberries are the ultimate dessert combination, add some avocado to create a really light mousse and the perfect fancy pants healthy treat is created! The mousse would also work great on its own topped with some raspberries for a ready in minutes dessert.

Makes 10.

  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 50g white chocolate
  • 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 100g fresh raspberries
  1. For the chocolate cups: Line a tray with parchment. Melt 140g of the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. When it’s fully melted, remove from the heat and add the remaining dark chocolate. Stir until fully combined.
  2. Spoon 1 large tablespoon of chocolate into a silicon cupcake case, swirl the chocolate around until fully coated. Place upside on the tray and repeat with the remaining cases.
  3. Place the tray in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
  4. For the mousse: add the avocado, honey and vanilla essence to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the cacao powder and 1 tablespoon of the fresh raspberries and blitz again until well combined. Place into the fridge until ready to use. 
  5. For the raspberries: melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir through the Greek yoghurt. Use a spoon or a needleless sterile syringe to fill each raspberry with the chocolate mix. 
  6. To assemble: peel the chocolate cups gently from the cases, fill with the mousse and top with the raspberries. 

Berry & Oat Muffins

Treats

These muffins are made for a satisfying meal on the go! Jam-packed with slow release carbs, berry goodness, only two tbsp honey & essential magnesium makes them ideal for a quick breakfast or gear bag friendly post-training snack. Use whatever berries you like or add some chopped nuts or chunks of dark chocolate, the possibilities are endless! They will stay fresh for at least four days in an air-tight container or else you could freeze them if any last that long.

  Makes 12 muffins.

  • 7oz oats
  • 1oz desiccated coconut
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 4oz butter
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 egg
  • 2 over-ripe bananas
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 4 fistfuls berries (blueberries & raspberries are my favourite)
  • coconut flakes
  1. Preheat an oven to 180°C and line a muffin tray with cases.
  2. Place the oats in a blender or food processor and blitz until they form a coarse flour. Mix the oat flour with the desiccated coconut & baking powder in one bowl. 
  3. In a separate large mixing bowl, using a handheld beater, cream the butter & honey together until light & fluffy. 
  4. Beat through the egg (the mix might look a bit curdled, you haven’t gone wrong I promise!).
  5. Mash the bananas & vanilla essence together before adding to the butter mix. Stir through the flour until well combined.
  6. Finally add the yoghurt & berries to the mix & combine. 
  7. Spoon the mix evenly amongst the muffin cases, top with some fresh oats and coconut flakes before placing in the oven for 15-20 mins until golden brown or a skewer comes out clean. 

Christmas Dinner Desserts

Treats

Why not step away from the traditional puddings, cake and trifle and try some seasonal berry cheesecake, mini chocolate puddings. Again plan ahead and make these the night before or freeze. All of these recipes are also all gluten-free so perfect for all your guests.

Cranberry & Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake:

Serves 8.

Cheesecake.jpg

  • 200g fresh cranberries
  • 200g raspberries
  • rind & juice of a mandarin orange
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 200g oreo-style cookies
  • 50g butter
  • 300g white chocolate
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 400g cream cheese
  • zest and juice of half a lemon
  • 300ml cream
  1. Start by making the cranberry and raspberry coulis to layer through the cheesecake.
  2. Place the cranberries, raspberries, juice & orange rind and honey into a small saucepan and simmer over a low heat, stirring gently until the cranberries begin to pop open.
  3. Once the cranberries are all softened, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
  4. For the base: remove the centre of the oreo biscuits and crush until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
  5. For the filling: melt the butter and stir through the crushed biscuits. Press into the bottom of a 20cm springform tin and place in the fridge for 10 mins.
  6. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a simmering pan of water.
  7. Using a hand-held beater blend together the cream cheese, lemon juice & zest and caster sugar until smooth.
  8. In a seperate bowl, stiffly whip the cream.
  9. Whisk in the melted chocolate and cream until well combined.
  10. To assemble: place a thin layer of the cooled coulis over the biscuit base followed by half of the filling mixture. Add another thin layer of coulis and finish with the remaining filling.
  11. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to ensure fully set.

 

Mini Chocolate Santa Hat Puddings:

These gluten-free chocolate puddings are in the shape of Santa hats so are perfect for children. The middle of each pudding is removed and filled with some of the raspberry & cranberry coulis from the cheesecake recipe, topped with a layer of cream and a fresh strawberry. Jam could easily replace the coulis.

Makes 7.

  • 225g dark chocolate
  • 125g butter
  • 120g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 2 tbsp hazelnuts
  • 7 tbsp cranberry & raspberry coulis from above cheesecake recipe
  • freshly whipped cream
  • 7 strawberries
  1. Preheat an oven to 180C. Line a round 20cm baking tin.
  2. Melt the chocolate & butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
  3. Once melted, remove from the heat and add the caster sugar, vanilla and ground almonds. Stir until well combined.
  4. Stir through the egg yolks, one at a time, ensure each is well combined before adding another.
  5. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add to the chocolate batter and fold gently with the chopped hazelnuts until combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
  7. Allow the brownies to completely cool before using a circular scone cutter to shape the brownie base into 7 even portions.
  8. Remove a portion of the centre from each brownie and fill this with the cranberry & raspberry coulis.
  9. Place a layer of cream on each and finish with a strawberry.