Orchard Gold Christmas

SPARKLING CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS
2 cups Orchard Gold Smoothie Berries or Super Berries
2 tablespoons white rum or vodka
Sparkling White Wine
Thaw Orchard Gold Berries – puree in a blender and sieve to remove seeds.  Sweeten if desired with a little icing sugar.  Add the white rum or vodka and mix gently.  Refrigerate for an hour or so for the flavours to develop.
Place 1 tablespoon of the puree in the base of a champagne glass.  Top with chilled sparkling white wine.

NON-ALCOHOL SPARKLING CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS
2 cups Orchard Gold Smoothie Berries
1 tablespoons lime cordial
Sparkling Grape Juice or Sparkling Mineral Water
Puree the Orchard Gold Smoothie Berries in a blender until smooth.  Sweeten if desired with a little icing sugar.  Add the lime cordial and mix gently.  Refrigerate for an hour or so for the flavours to develop.
Place 1 tablespoon of the puree in the base of a long glass.  Top with chilled sparkling grape juice or sparkling mineral water.

 

ORCHARD GOLD CHRISTMAS MUFFINS

2 eggs

1½ cups milk

1 cup sugar

125g melted butter OR 100ml light olive oil

3 cups plain flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups Christmas Berryfruit Mince (see below)

1 small tub cream cheese

Christmas Berryfruit Mince:
2 Granny Smith apples, cores removed - leave the skin on
½ cup walnuts

¼ cup sultanas
¼ cup raisins

1 tablespoon brandy, or fruit juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cups Orchard Gold frozen Mixed Berries
Place the apples, walnuts, sultanas, raisins, brandy and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely diced.  Don’t let it become a puree.  Place in a saucepan over a low heat with the Orchard Gold frozen Mixed Berries and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Cool and store covered in the refrigerator.  Use within 5 days.

BREAKFAST BLUEBERRY HOTCAKES
2 cups self raising flour

½ cup sugar
2 cups milk                                             

2 eggs
2 cups Orchard Gold blueberries      

50g melted butter
½ tsp salt
Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl.  Add eggs, melted butter and milk and beat well.  Put aside in the fridge for 15 minutes, then stir again.  Place tablespoons on the mixture onto a hot greased frying pan or griddle, and scatter a few blueberries over the hotcakes.  When bubbles appear, turn the hotcakes over and cook for a couple of minutes more.  Serve with maple syrup and warmed sliced banana.

 

CRANBERRY AND COUSCOUS STUFFING
Great with Turkey, Chicken, Pork, Lamb
2 cups couscous (quick cooking)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
2-3 gloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
1½ cups chicken stock
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 cup Orchard Gold frozen Cranberries
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bring the chicken stock and the Orchard Gold Cranberries to the boil and simmer until the Cranberries begin to “burst”.  Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned.  Pour in the chicken stock and cranberries, then stir in the couscous.  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  Mix in the pine nuts and the chopped parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Use the stuffing to fill turkey, chicken, pork, lamb, or to stuff vegetables such as capsicums, tomato bases, zucchini shells, and cook according to directions.

CRANBERRY RELISH
A good recipe to serve with chicken, pork, turkey, or with cream cheese on crackers.
2 cups Orchard Gold Cranberries     

2 cups apple, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 red capsicum, seeds removed, and diced
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup raisins

½ cup white vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel pot.  Simmer gently about 30 minutes, stirring often.  If necessary add a little apple or orange juice.
 

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY
Serve with hot or cold meats at Christmas – turkey, chicken, pork, or lamb.
1 packet of Orchard Gold Cranberries
2 apples, cored and diced (leave peel on)
1 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 25-30 minutes.  Store in covered sterilized jars in refrigerator. 

CRANBERRY SAUCE
Serve with turkey, chicken or pork.  Great with leftovers too.
1 cups frozen Orchard Gold Cranberries
1 cup apple juice
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg (optional)
Simmer cranberries and apple juice over a low heat for 5-7 minutes until the cranberries begin to burst.  Puree in a blender, add cinnamon and nutmeg, heat again and serve.

 

BERRYFRUIT PAVLOVAS OR MERINGUES
1 packet individual pavlovas or meringue bases
Ice cream or gelato or sorbet
Orchard Gold Raspberries or Super Berries  to decorate
Raspberry Couli (see below)
Working quickly, fill the meringue bases with ice cream, gelato or sorbet, and smooth the top.  Decorate with a few berries and Raspberry Couli.

RASPBERRY COULI
1 cup Orchard Gold Raspberries
2 tablespoons icing sugar
Blend raspberries until smooth.  Strain into a small bowl.  Add icing sugar and mix well. 

SUPER BERRY COMPOTE
Serve with ice cream, trifle, jelly, and pavlova.
375g Orchard Gold Super Berries
¼ cup sugar
Simmer Orchard Gold Super Berries and sugar to taste, over a low heat until warmed through and the sugar has dissolved.  Stir gently to keep fruit whole.  Alternatively, place in a glass bowl in the microwave and heat on high for 5 minutes, stirring gently after every 2 minutes.

BERRY INDIVIDUAL BAKED DESSERTS
An alternative to steamed pudding. Serve with ice cream, cream, or custard and additional Berry Compote (see recipe above).
2 cups Orchard Gold Super Berries
1½ cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup oil – try light olive or canola oil
80g slivered almonds, chopped
Grease 6 individual ramekins well with butter or oil.  If you don’t have ramekins, use large muffin tins.  Combine flour, mixed spice, and sugar in a bowl.  Whisk the eggs, add with the oil to the flour, and stir to combine.  Gently mix through the frozen berries and chopped almonds.  Spoon into the ramekins and bake in a pre-heated oven (180degC bake or 160degC fan forced) for about 45 minutes, or until cooked.  Dust with icing sugar.

ORCHARD GOLD CHRISTMAS PUDDING
This is easier to make than it sounds.  Serve with Raspberry Couli and sliced fresh strawberries.
2 cups Orchard Gold Mixed Berries
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour mixed with a little juice from the thawed berries.
¼ cup finely chopped nuts
¼ cup finely chopped chocolate
¼ cup brandy (optional)
1 x 2 litre pack vanilla or chocolate ice cream
Place the Mixed Berries in a saucepan with the sugar and gently warm.  When thawed, mix the cornflour with some of the juices, then tip it back into the saucepan bring slowly to the boil.  Simmer the mixture for 3 minutes until thick.  Try to keep the fruit whole as much as possible.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Mix in the brandy, chopped nuts and chocolate.  Refrigerate for several hours before using further.

Place clingwrap inside a 2.5litre freezer-proof bowl.  Soften the ice-cream slightly and mould about 1cm thick on the bottom and around the inside of the bowl.  Place another layer of clingwrap on the outside of a slightly smaller bowl.  Place this inside the larger one, and return to the freezer until firm.  

Remove from the freezer and take out the inner bowl.  Place the cold fruit mix in the centre over the ice cream, and cover the top with a layer of ice cream, so the fruit is totally enclosed.  Return again to the freezer.  Freeze at least 24 hours.  When ready to serve, tip out on a serving plate, remove the clingwrap, and decorate as desired.
 

RASPBERRY RIPPLE CRUMBLE CAKE
Raspberry Ripple:
2 cups Orchard Gold Raspberries
3 tablespoons castor sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Place the Orchard Gold Raspberries in a blender and puree.  Add the sugar, cornflour and essence and mix well.  Set aside while making the cake mix.
Cake Mix:
¾ cup sugar
2¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
175g butter, cut into small squares
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Crumble:
½ cup cake mix (see below)
¼ cup raw sugar
Preheat the oven to 190degC.  Grease or oil a 22cm spring-form cake-tin.
Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.  Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs.  Put ½ cup of this mixture aside for the crumble topping. 
Add the sour cream, egg and vanilla to the remaining mix, and mix well.
Place two-thirds of the mixture into the cake-tin, spoon over the raspberry puree in a layer, then cover with the rest of the mixture.
Crumble:  Mix the ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the cake.
Bake about 45 minutes, then cool completely before serving.