If you love berries and in particular ones that claim to be a health-giving superfood, then take a look at Goldenberries. We enjoyed them straight out of the packet as well as in a banana muffin recipe - the verdict is a big thumbs up!
According to our research, a handful of goldenberries provides a hefty dosage of antioxidants, and in traditional folk medicine practices, goldenberries are believed to help maintain a healthy weight, ward off disease, and improve organ function.
Also known as gooseberries or Incan berries, Goldenberries have been cultivated in South America for centuries and revered for their health benefits due to the anti-inflammatory bioflavonoids and vitamins A and C that they contain. Unlike many dried fruits, these contain no added sugars or preservatives, which is obviously a good thing, but it does mean that they have quite a tart flavour, however this fades and the flavour becomes much more mellow.
Want to give them a try? Then give this recipe a go:
Ingredients:
180ml non-fat or low fat buttermilk
135g light brown sugar
60ml light olive oil
2 large eggs
3 medium sized ripe bananas
300g plain flour
75g Goldenberries
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
40g course chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Method:
Preheat oven to 190oC. Immerse Goldenberries in boiling water while preparing the muffin batter.
Line a 12-muffin cake tray with muffin cases.
Whisk the buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl until fully combined. Mash the bananas and gently fold them into the mix.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and spices then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.
Drain the Goldenberries, cut each in half and fold through the mix. If you are including walnuts or pecans in the recipe, add these too.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray, ensuring that each case is no more than ¾ full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Enjoy!
