A gorgeous coloured blackberry sorbet in celebration with the season, with the added benefits of acai – a recipe for the Holmes Place magazine; an ongoing concept of ‘superfoods ‘ throughout the year.
‘Acai is a rich, deep purple fruit similar in shape to a grape and has a mild chocolate berry sweetness. These berries grow in huge clusters near the tops of palm trees, which grow in the Amazon rainforests. Each Acai berry contains just 10% fruit and pulp and a large seed, which has no benefits, so harvesting this fruit is laborious since the tree has no branches and each cluster of berries needs to be cut and brought down manually to preserve the fruit and pulp. Within the nutritional pulp and skin, Acai berries are packed with antioxidants, amino acids, fibre, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. It helps to increase your antioxidant levels, boosts your energy levels, supports your immune system and helps to promote a healthy digestive system.’
There are three basic ways to add acai to a recipe: acai powder, acai juice, and acai frozen smoothie packs. Here, I choose to use the powder, which is more widely available, has been freeze-dried instantly to preserve the active components, and is not overly processed. The powder can be added to smoothies, juices, homemade ice creams, sprinkled over your morning porridge, or raw treats.
~ home ~
Blackberry-Acai Popsicle
makes 9 small popsicles
ingredients
3 cups fresh blackberries, washed
2 medium ripe frozen bananas
½ cup unsweetened apple juice or fruit juice of choice
2 tsp acai powder
2 Tbsp natural sweetener of choice (coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey)
preparation
- Wash the berries and place them in a high-speed blender or food processor, along with the peeled frozen bananas, apple juice, and acai powder. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping if you need to push the fruit down with a rubber spatula.
- Taste, and add sweetener, if required. Blend again to incorporate the sweet.
- Spoon or pour into your popsicle holders, freeze until firm, or enjoy as is for an instant treat. When ready, pull the popsicle out of their moulds by running them under warm water.
variations
- If you don’t have blackberries, try a different berry variety, such as blueberries, raspberries, or even strawberries.
- For a creamier sorbet, replace the apple juice with coconut cream by refrigerating a tin of coconut milk and scooping out the thick white cream on top.
- It can be easily omitted if you don’t have access to acai powder.
References – https://www.victoriahealth.com/editorial/facts-and-myths-about-acai-berry
Goodness shared from Stacey
