Berry Blog

We love berries. We eat them every day. Sometimes we cook them, sometimes we eat them straight out of the packet. This blog is our way of sharing and showing off some of the ways we use our berries. We've prepared the recipes in our test kitchen - which doubles as our staff kitchen. We hope you enjoy these recipes and ideas as much as we do.

Orchard Gold Blueberry Raspberry Brownies

 
I know that we see 'Treat Yo Self' everywhere, but maybe that's a good thing? It's incredibly hard to deny yourself every sweet thing - especially on special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, graduations...). So instead of saying no, say the occasional yes to a healthier version! 
 

Raspberry Blueberry Chocolate Brownie
 




Orchard Gold Blueberry Raspberry Brownies
 

80g reduced fat spread, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 milk, trim
1 banana
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
50g chocolate buttons
50g white chocolate buttons
75g Orchard Gold Blueberries
75g Orchard Gold Raspberries
 

1. Mix together the spread and sugar, before beating in the eggs.
2. Fold in the milk, banana, cocoa, and flours and then the chocolates and berries until just combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a lined 20cm tin and bake for 25 mins at 180°C, or until it is firm to the touch. 

 

Find our Orchard Gold Berries at all leading supermarkets
and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @orchardgoldberries
 
 

Orchard Gold Wild Blueberry Snowballs

 
We've all experienced that drop in energy (and motivation!) a couple of hours after lunch. It's hard not to grab the nearest snack food and devour it. Unfortunately, often the nearest snack food is not the healthiest! These little balls of goodness will give you an awesome boost of energy and are far healthier than that chocolate bar... Best of all, this recipe is quick and easy - it's all over before it even starts!
 

Blueberry Snowballs edited
 



Orchard Gold Wild Blueberry Snowballs
 

1 cup The Smoothie Collection Naked Wild Blueberries (thawed)
12 dates
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup oats
Handful of desicated coconut
 

1. Thaw out some wild blueberries, keeping any juice that leaks out of the berries.
2. In a food processor, blitz up the dates before adding in all other ingredients, except the coconut.
3. Pulse the processor to blend together the ingredients. 
4. Hand roll the mixture into small balls before rolling in coconut to coat.
5. Refrigerate for about an hour before devouring.
 

Find our Orchard Gold Berries at all leading supermarkets
and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @orchardgoldberries
 

Orchard Gold Blueberry and Lemon Cake

 
While we're sure this is meant to be a lovely tea cake, it is also a superbly light birthday cake! Who doesn't gorge themselves on their birthday? It's one of the few days a year that you can do so, guilt-free. But, doesn't anyone experience that 'over full' feeling that means you can't really enjoy the cake?? What a waste! That's where this simple cake saves the day. It is much lighter than a chocolate mud cake, but is just as scrumptious! 
 

Blueberry Lemon Cake-858
 

Orchard Gold Blueberry and Lemon Cake

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup light sour cream
2/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups self-raising flour
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
2 cups Orchard Gold Supreme Blueberries
1 Tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. Light grease or line a round cake tin and preheat oven to 180˚C and thaw the blueberries.
2. Beat together eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes or until lightened in colour and thick.
3. At a low speed, beat in the sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla until well combined.
4. Add in the self raising flour, 1/3 at a time, gently mixing between each addition, adding in the lemon juice and zest with the last third. Be careful not to over mix.
5. Drain any excess juice from the thawed blueberries and coat with corn flour and lemon juice, mixing until well combined.
6. Pour half of the cake batter into the cake tin and spread out gently with a spatula. Spinkle half the blueberries over the batter. Spread the remaining batter and top with the remaining blueberries, pushing them slightly into the batter.
7. Bake for 45 - 55 mins. Let the cake rest in the tin for 15 mins, before removing to cool completely.

Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of greek yoghurt.

Find our Orchard Gold Berries at all leading supermarkets
and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @orchardgoldberries
 

Orchard Gold Premium Mixed Berries Butter
with French Toast

 
We thought we'd use some of the last warm, sunny weather for a well deserved Sunday Brunch! What says 'brunch' more than some delicious French Toast? And what goes more with French Toast than berries?! ... Nothing. 

This berry butter is so simple to make, but adds so much to your standard french toast. Even if you are not a butter person (myself included!), the berry butter has so much berry flavour, you forget there's actual butter mixed in!
 
Berry Butter with French Toast
Orchard Gold Premium Mixed Berries Butter with French Toast

150g butter, softened not melted

½ cup Orchard Gold Premium Mixed Berries

½ baguette (can be a few days old!)

½ cup milk

2 eggs

½ tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp sugar

1. Beat the softened butter, then stir in the berries until just combined. Turn the butter out onto plastic wrap laid over a sheet of tinfoil. Wrap the butter up and twist the ends, twisting the butter into a taut, tube shape. Put in the freezer for 30mins to firm up.
2. Cut up the baguette, either in circle or long, diagonal shapes. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Soak the baguette slices in the egg mixture for a few seconds before placing in a hot, buttered pan. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Serve the French toast with slices of berry butter, topped with extra berries, Greek yoghurt, and a drizzle of maple syrup. 
 

Find our Orchard Gold Berries at all leading supermarkets
and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @orchardgoldberries
 

Orchard Gold Blueberry Crumble Bars

 
Now that the weather is cooling down, we're excited to have an excellent reason to eat warm desserts again (you have to warm up somehow, right??) ! These blueberry crumble bars are quite versatile. They're good for a morning/afternoon tea with visiting friends and family, but they're also perfect for dessert with some vanilla ice cream, while binge watching Netflix, under a warm blanket! 

They're so easy to make; you only have to use one bowl! In an airtight container, the bars will last about 10 days in the fridge. But we're sure they'll be gone long before then!
 
Blueberry Crumble Bars edited 2-683


Orchard Gold Blueberry Crumble Bars
Crumble and Crust
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup soft brown sugar

Blueberry Filling
2 cups Orchard Gold Blueberries
1/3 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornflour

 
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a flat pan, about 20cm x 20cm.
2. To make the crumble and crust, in a large bowl, mix butter, flour, oats, and sugar together. The mixture should be like sand, with some larger crumble pieces. 
3. Put 1 cup of crumble aside (for the top crumble), and press the remaining crumble into your pan quite firmly.
3. To make the blueberry filling, in the same (now empty) bowl, stir the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornflour until the blueberries are well coated. Pour the bluberries, and any liquid sugar in the bowl, evenly over the crumble base. 
4. Take the crumble that was put aside and sprinkle over the blueberry filling evenly. 
5. Bake for 55 minutes or until the crumble is pale golden and the filling has 'set'. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. 


 
Find our Orchard Gold Berries at all leading supermarkets
and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @orchardgoldberries
 
 
 

Orchard Gold Super Fruits Berry Curd

 
Curd is an amazing thing. Both sweet and sour, creamy and fruity, it can really add some wow factor to a standard baked good! We made our berry curd with our Orchard Gold Super Fruits Mixed Berries. The blackcurrants in this mix are quite a sour berry, so it balances perfectly with the sweeter blueberries and sugar in the curd. As curd is quite a sweet thing, we paired it with a plain scone, but we know it would taste good - maybe even better- with some vanilla ice cream!
 
Berry curd with scones




Orchard Gold Super Fruits Berry Curd
3 1/2 cups Orchard Gold Super Fruits Mixed Berries
2/3 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp cornflour
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 eggs
1 Tbsp butter
 
1. Defrost the berries in the microwave, then place the berries in a blend and blend until smooth. To ensure a smooth curd, remove the seeds by pressing the puree through a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Throw the seeds out. You'll need a cup of seedless puree; anything extra can be kept in the fridge for another day.
2. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornflour then stir in the puree, lemon juice and eggs. Over a medium heat, bring the puree to a boil, whisking constantly. Once at a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute, or until the curd is thick. 
3. Once thick, remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Leave to cool slightly, before spooning into a container to cool further in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight before using.
 
Find our Orchard Gold Berries at all leading supermarkets
and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @orchardgoldberries
 
 
 
Email me when new posts are made to this blog

Gluten Free Berry, Yoghurt and Polenta Cake - from Julie Le Clerc

Written by Trisha on September 18th, 2012.      0 comments

Julie cooked this cake when she visited the Riverside Cafe in Nelson, using Orchard Gold Super Fruit Mixed Berries - with blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries.  Its easy to make and super delicious.  You could use any of the Orchard Gold packs to make this cake.

 
Super Berry, Yoghurt and Polenta Cake (gluten-free)
Recipe ©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012
Serves 12




Ingredients:
4 large eggs
300g (1 1/4 cups) ‘Strawberries and Cream’ EasiYo yoghurt
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/3 cup Airborne Manuka honey
70g (1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp) instant polenta, plus extra to dust cake tin
70g (2/3 cup) ground almonds
1/3 cup potato flour (or fine rice flour)
1 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cups Orchard Gold frozen Super Fruits Mixed Berries
Gluten free icing sugar, to dust
Extra EasiYo yoghurt, to serve
Extra Airborne Manuka honey, to drizzle
Make this cake with:
OG Super Fruits web
Or try it with:
OG Mixed Berries web       or      OG Blueberry web 1
1 Preheat oven to 150°C fan bake. Spray a 20cm bundt tin with oil and dust with polenta.

2 Whisk eggs, yoghurt, sugar and honey together in a bowl.Stir in polenta, almonds, potato flour, baking powder and lemon zest to just combine. Stir in berries.

3 Pour batter into prepared cake tin. Bake for 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

4 Remove from oven and stand in tin for 10 minutes to firm. Invert onto a plate and leave to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar. Slice and serve with extra EasiYo yoghurt on the side. Serve drizzled with honey.
 

Watch Julie make this Gluten Free Berry, Yoghurt and Polenta Cake at Riverside Cafe, Nelson on TV3's on demand at:  
http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-7/tabid/59/articleID/7969/MCat/369/Default.aspx 




 
 

Julie Le Clerc's Vanilla Berry Filo Strudel using Orchard Gold Super Fruits

Written by Trisha on September 11th, 2012.      0 comments

Julie Le Clerc made this tasty Vanilla Berry Filo Strudel on TV3's Cafe Secrets recently.  She used Orchard Gold Frozen Super Fruits Mixed Berries - a combination of blackcurrants, raspberries and blueberries.  

 
Episode 6 - Vanilla Berry Filo Strudel
Recipe ©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012
Serves 6

2 1/2 cups Orchard Gold frozen berries
Seeds from 1 Equagold vanilla bean
1/4 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp cornflour
6 sheets Timos filo pastry
Olive oil, to spray
Icing sugar, to dust

Make this with:

OG Super Fruits web
1 Preheat oven to 190°C. Combine berries, vanilla, sugar and cornflour in a bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.

2 Lay a sheet of filo on a clean work surface. Lightly brush or spray all over with olive oil. Place another sheet on top and repeat process until all sheets are layered.

3 Pile half the berry mixture lengthways down one end of filo. Fold over and roll up, folding in ends as you go, until completely rolled up.

4 Place on a baking tray with the seam-side down. Spray outside of strudel with oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with icing sugar and slice to serve.

Watch Julie making this delicious berry strudel at Humbug Cafe, in Auckland's New Lynn on TV3's On Demand 
http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-6/tabid/59/articleID/7869/MCat/369/Default.aspx



 
 

More luscious goodies from Cafe Secrets

Written by Trisha on August 27th, 2012.      0 comments

Yesterday on TV3's Cafe Secrets, Julie Le Clerc made some luscious Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tarts using Orchard Gold raspberries.

 
Episode 5 - Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tarts
Recipe ©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012
Makes 24

Chocolate pastry:
200g butter, softened but not melted
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 egg
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 1/4 cups plain flour

Filling:
3/4 cup cream
250g Whittakers Dark Ghana 72% chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Orchard Gold frozen raspberries
1 tbsp brandy or liqueur (optional)

Makes these with:

 
 OG Raspberry web
1 To make pastry, place sugar, butter and egg in a bowl and beat to just combine (do not cream the mixture). Add cocoa and flour and mix to combine into a dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to rest.

2 Roll out pastry to 5mm thick. Using a 9cm cookie cutter, cut out 24 circles. Fit circles into the bases of 24 standard muffin tins. Prick bases with a fork and chill for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 200°C.

3 Line pastry cases with small squares of foil and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10 minutes (this is known as ‘blind baking’). Remove foil and beans and return pastry cases to the oven for a further 5 minutes to finish cooking. Remove to cool.

4 Place cream, chocolate and raspberries in a bowl and microwave for 3-5 minutes, to melt.Whisk mixture until chocolate is smooth but there are still lumps of raspberries. Whisk in brandy or liqueur, if desired. Spoon chocolate raspberry mixture into prepared pastry cases to fill and leave in a cool place to set.



Chocolate   Raspberry Tarts
 

You can catch the program on TV3 On Demand on 

http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-5/tabid/59/articleID/7769/MCat/369/Default.aspx



 
 

Cafe Secrets, Season 2, Episode 4, Julie Le Clerc's Vanilla, White Chocolate and Blueberry Blondie

Written by Trisha on August 20th, 2012.      0 comments

Have you been watching Café Secrets with Julie Le Clerc – she’s been making some delicious things with Orchard Gold berries.  It’s on TV3 at 5pm on Sundays.  Here is Julie’s recipe for Vanilla, White chocolate Blueberry Blondie, that was on yesterday’s show, courtesy of the TV3 website.  It tastes great.
 

Cafe Secrets, Season 2, Episode 4
Vanilla, White chocolate, Blueberry Blondie
Recipe©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012

 

Makes 18

Make this with:

                     OG Blueberry web 1

150g Rolling Meadow butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups Orchard Gold Frozen Blueberries
150g Whittakers white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Icing sugar, to dust
1 Heat oven to 160°C. Grease a 17 x 27cm slice tin and line with baking paper leaving an overhang on all sides.

2 In a bowl, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time then beat for 1 minute more.

3 Turn mixer speed to low and then gradually beat in the flour. Stir in the blueberries and white chocolate.

4 Spread mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin then remove and cut in squares. Dust with icing sugar, to serve.
 

You can catch the program on TV3 on demand on
http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-/tabid/59/articleID/7679/MCat/369/Default.aspx 

 
Email me when new posts are made to this blog

Gluten Free Berry, Yoghurt and Polenta Cake - from Julie Le Clerc

Written by Trisha on September 18th, 2012.      0 comments

Julie cooked this cake when she visited the Riverside Cafe in Nelson, using Orchard Gold Super Fruit Mixed Berries - with blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries.  Its easy to make and super delicious.  You could use any of the Orchard Gold packs to make this cake.

 
Super Berry, Yoghurt and Polenta Cake (gluten-free)
Recipe ©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012
Serves 12




Ingredients:
4 large eggs
300g (1 1/4 cups) ‘Strawberries and Cream’ EasiYo yoghurt
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/3 cup Airborne Manuka honey
70g (1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp) instant polenta, plus extra to dust cake tin
70g (2/3 cup) ground almonds
1/3 cup potato flour (or fine rice flour)
1 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cups Orchard Gold frozen Super Fruits Mixed Berries
Gluten free icing sugar, to dust
Extra EasiYo yoghurt, to serve
Extra Airborne Manuka honey, to drizzle
Make this cake with:
OG Super Fruits web
Or try it with:
OG Mixed Berries web       or      OG Blueberry web 1
1 Preheat oven to 150°C fan bake. Spray a 20cm bundt tin with oil and dust with polenta.

2 Whisk eggs, yoghurt, sugar and honey together in a bowl.Stir in polenta, almonds, potato flour, baking powder and lemon zest to just combine. Stir in berries.

3 Pour batter into prepared cake tin. Bake for 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

4 Remove from oven and stand in tin for 10 minutes to firm. Invert onto a plate and leave to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar. Slice and serve with extra EasiYo yoghurt on the side. Serve drizzled with honey.
 

Watch Julie make this Gluten Free Berry, Yoghurt and Polenta Cake at Riverside Cafe, Nelson on TV3's on demand at:  
http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-7/tabid/59/articleID/7969/MCat/369/Default.aspx 




 
 

Julie Le Clerc's Vanilla Berry Filo Strudel using Orchard Gold Super Fruits

Written by Trisha on September 11th, 2012.      0 comments

Julie Le Clerc made this tasty Vanilla Berry Filo Strudel on TV3's Cafe Secrets recently.  She used Orchard Gold Frozen Super Fruits Mixed Berries - a combination of blackcurrants, raspberries and blueberries.  

 
Episode 6 - Vanilla Berry Filo Strudel
Recipe ©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012
Serves 6

2 1/2 cups Orchard Gold frozen berries
Seeds from 1 Equagold vanilla bean
1/4 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp cornflour
6 sheets Timos filo pastry
Olive oil, to spray
Icing sugar, to dust

Make this with:

OG Super Fruits web
1 Preheat oven to 190°C. Combine berries, vanilla, sugar and cornflour in a bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.

2 Lay a sheet of filo on a clean work surface. Lightly brush or spray all over with olive oil. Place another sheet on top and repeat process until all sheets are layered.

3 Pile half the berry mixture lengthways down one end of filo. Fold over and roll up, folding in ends as you go, until completely rolled up.

4 Place on a baking tray with the seam-side down. Spray outside of strudel with oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with icing sugar and slice to serve.

Watch Julie making this delicious berry strudel at Humbug Cafe, in Auckland's New Lynn on TV3's On Demand 
http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-6/tabid/59/articleID/7869/MCat/369/Default.aspx



 
 

More luscious goodies from Cafe Secrets

Written by Trisha on August 27th, 2012.      0 comments

Yesterday on TV3's Cafe Secrets, Julie Le Clerc made some luscious Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tarts using Orchard Gold raspberries.

 
Episode 5 - Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tarts
Recipe ©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012
Makes 24

Chocolate pastry:
200g butter, softened but not melted
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 egg
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 1/4 cups plain flour

Filling:
3/4 cup cream
250g Whittakers Dark Ghana 72% chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Orchard Gold frozen raspberries
1 tbsp brandy or liqueur (optional)

Makes these with:

 
 OG Raspberry web
1 To make pastry, place sugar, butter and egg in a bowl and beat to just combine (do not cream the mixture). Add cocoa and flour and mix to combine into a dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to rest.

2 Roll out pastry to 5mm thick. Using a 9cm cookie cutter, cut out 24 circles. Fit circles into the bases of 24 standard muffin tins. Prick bases with a fork and chill for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 200°C.

3 Line pastry cases with small squares of foil and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10 minutes (this is known as ‘blind baking’). Remove foil and beans and return pastry cases to the oven for a further 5 minutes to finish cooking. Remove to cool.

4 Place cream, chocolate and raspberries in a bowl and microwave for 3-5 minutes, to melt.Whisk mixture until chocolate is smooth but there are still lumps of raspberries. Whisk in brandy or liqueur, if desired. Spoon chocolate raspberry mixture into prepared pastry cases to fill and leave in a cool place to set.



Chocolate   Raspberry Tarts
 

You can catch the program on TV3 On Demand on 

http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-5/tabid/59/articleID/7769/MCat/369/Default.aspx



 
 

Cafe Secrets, Season 2, Episode 4, Julie Le Clerc's Vanilla, White Chocolate and Blueberry Blondie

Written by Trisha on August 20th, 2012.      0 comments

Have you been watching Café Secrets with Julie Le Clerc – she’s been making some delicious things with Orchard Gold berries.  It’s on TV3 at 5pm on Sundays.  Here is Julie’s recipe for Vanilla, White chocolate Blueberry Blondie, that was on yesterday’s show, courtesy of the TV3 website.  It tastes great.
 

Cafe Secrets, Season 2, Episode 4
Vanilla, White chocolate, Blueberry Blondie
Recipe©copyright Julie Le Clerc 2012

 

Makes 18

Make this with:

                     OG Blueberry web 1

150g Rolling Meadow butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups Orchard Gold Frozen Blueberries
150g Whittakers white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Icing sugar, to dust
1 Heat oven to 160°C. Grease a 17 x 27cm slice tin and line with baking paper leaving an overhang on all sides.

2 In a bowl, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time then beat for 1 minute more.

3 Turn mixer speed to low and then gradually beat in the flour. Stir in the blueberries and white chocolate.

4 Spread mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin then remove and cut in squares. Dust with icing sugar, to serve.
 

You can catch the program on TV3 on demand on
http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Cafe-Secrets-Season-2-Ep-/tabid/59/articleID/7679/MCat/369/Default.aspx 

 

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