2020-07-01RedUK

133

July 2020 | REDONLINE.CO.UK

livinG

Fruits of the

forest cordial

The addition of vanilla gives a softer,

rounder flavour to the cordial, but

leave it out if you prefer a sharper taste.

MAKES ABOUT 500ml

PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes

COOKING 5 minutes

O450g ripe mixed berries, such as raspberries,

tayberries, blackberries, blueberries

OAbout 350g granulated sugar

O1tsp citric acid (optional)

O1tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1 Put the berries in a pan with 150ml water

and cook lightly for 5min, squashing the

fruit with a wooden spoon to extract as

much juice as possible.

2 Push the mixture through a muslin-lined

sieve to extract the juice. Measure the liquid

and weigh out 350g sugar per 500ml. Stir

in the citric acid, if using (the cordial will

only last a couple of weeks if omitted).

3 Dissolve the sugar with the juice over a low

heat and skim off the scum. Add the vanilla

extract. Pour into sterilised bottles and store

for up to a year in a cool, dark place. Dilute

with sparkling water or sparkling white wine.

Store in the fridge once opened.

Hot chocolate berries

The pleasing combination of cold, tart berries
and hot liqueur-infused chocolate makes this
pudding extremely moreish.

SERVES 4
PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes
COOKING TIME 5 minutes

O150ml double cream
O150g good-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
O1tbsp berry liqueur, such as crème de mûre or
crème de framboise
O500g mixed berries, frozen

1 Put the cream in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove
from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir a couple of
times but don’t overdo it or the chocolate will seize
(clump into a gooey mess). If the chocolate doesn’t
completely melt, pour into a heatproof bowl and set
over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir in the liqueur.
2 Divide the frozen berries between four plates and pour
over the sauce. Serve at once.