Page 555 - YC Cooking School

For something sweet

A drizzle of honey is a perfect natural sweetener for smoothies, as are pitted dates. Soak
them in a little warm water overnight and by morning they’ll be ready to lend their beautiful
caramel flavour to your smoothie. You can also consider adding a little roughly chopped
dark chocolate or cocao powder for something special.

The final touch
Add roughly chopped nuts or nut butters for extra protein and a thicker texture, or a
handful of raw oats for a little extra bulk.

Winning flavour combinations

Here are some ideas for delicious flavour combinations to try:

Mango and creamy coconut milk
Pineapple and ginger
Blueberry and banana
Strawberry, raspberry and pineapple

Enjoy in moderation
Remember, liquid fruit is not calorie free – it’s full of fruit sugars. So, smoothie-drinking
should not be entered into with absolute abandon. One small smoothie a day is fine, but
more than that is not ideal.

'Savoury smoothies' or juices are more calorie-friendly, and can be a great health kick to
start the day. A favourite of mine is beetroot, celery, apple, carrot, fresh ginger, baby
spinach leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Tools to get top results

Smoothies can be made in a jug blender or with a stick blender. If you’re using frozen fruit, a
powerful jug blender is best. Just make sure you protect the blade from the frozen fruity
pebbles by placing the liquid component of the smoothie into the jug first.

A few notes on sorbet

Some people think of sorbet as ice-cream’s poorer cousin but it’s actually a whole world of
fresh fruitiness and there’s a lot to love about it. Sorbets usually start with a basic sugar
syrup made up of equal parts sugar and water, which is then added to fruit juice. An ice
cream maker is handy for making classic sorbets, as they require a lot of churning to
smooth out the ice crystals during the freezing process. Never fear though – this can also be
done using a whisk, just give your mixture a good beating every hour for 3-4 hours or until

you have a smooth and delicately frozen end result.

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