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Sip on this refreshing berry and thyme fizz, sweetened to perfection with Selati castor sugar, for a delightful burst of flavour in every sparkling sip. 

Berry and thyme fizz 

Serves 8  

Every sip sparkles in this berry and thyme fizz, made to dazzle with a Selati Castor Snow syrup.  

Ingredients 

For the berry syrup:  

2 cups Selati Castor Snow
½ cup water 
1 cup fresh or frozen berries, crushed + extra to garnish  

1 small lemon, zested and juiced
Ice, for serving 
8 cups sparkling water 
10 thyme sprigs   

Method 

1. In a pot, combine sugar, water, berries, lemon zest, juice and 2 sprigs of thyme.
2. Reduce over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the consistency turns syrupy and can coat a spoon with a light glaze and not run off (a great tip is to run your finger over the glaze and if it remains separated, then it’s ready). Cool syrup completely. 
3. Divide the berry syrup between glasses, add ice and top with sparkling water. 
4. Garnish with thyme and extra berries. 

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Beat the heat this January with this delicious and healthy berry blitz smoothie recipe.

Berry blitz smoothie 

Serves 1 

Add 1 cup frozen mixed berries to a blender along with 1 frozen sliced banana, 1 cup low-fat yoghurt and 2 Tbsp chia seeds. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth and thick. Pour into a glass and top with extra berries or a sprinkle of granola. 

Smoothie central 

Amp up your nutrients with these tweaks: 

Meal prepper 

– Prep fresh ingredients for your morning or afternoon smoothie and add them to a ziplock bag. Refrigerate until needed.
– Take advantage of meal prepping for the week by peeling, cutting and portioning your smoothies into ziplock bags or containers. Freeze until needed.
– Blending frozen ingredients creates a creamy, thick smoothie, whereas using room temp ingredients makes a runnier smoothie.
– To up the fibre content, add seeds and oats aft er blending.
– Almost anything can be added to a smoothie. Fruits such as apples, bananas and pears will add sweetness. They also enhance the flavour when paired with ingredients such as spinach, kale, cauliflower, beetroot and other veggies. 

Protein power 

– Adding a scoop of protein powder is always great if you’re looking for an energy boost after an intense gym session, but there are more natural ways to get in your protein quota for the day. Try adding a sprinkle of the following to keep you full and recharge those muscles. 

• Oats: ¼ – ½ cup added before or aft er blending
• Dairy products: 1–2 cups yoghurt, cream cheese or milk
• Seeds: 1–2 Tbsp sunflower-, chia-, pumpkin- or flax seeds

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg 

Photographs: Zhann Solomons, supplied 

Also read: 3 refreshing smoothie bowls for summer 

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Summer is on our doorstep – finally! From poolside gatherings to summer soirées, serve these fresh and fruity cocktails at your next summer party.  

Refreshing cucumber and rosemary spritzers 

Makes 4 // Cooking time 10 minutes 

Ingredients 

5cm piece cucumber, chopped
1 tsp rosemary
600ml dry white wine
200ml soda water
4 cucumber ribbons
1 cup ice
4 sprigs rosemary
4 slices radish (optional)  

Method 

1. Place the cucumber and rosemary in a blender and blitz until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve, discarding the pulp.
2. Divide the cucumber liquid between four glasses. Pour in the wine and soda water and gently stir to combine.
3. To serve, arrange a cucumber ribbon on the inside of each glass and add a few blocks of ice. Top with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of radish. 

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

Berry ice lolly cocktails 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 15 minutes 

Ingredients 

1 cup mixed berries
1 cup lemonade or lemon-lime soft drink
¼ cup cranberry juice
750ml sparkling white wine  

Method 

1. Mix the berries, lemonade and cranberry juice together. Pour mixture into ice-lolly moulds and freeze overnight.
2. To serve, place the ice lollies in glasses and fill up with sparkling wine.
3. Stir to infuse the lollies in the wine.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za 

Green melon cocktails 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 15 minutes 

Ingredients 

4 limes
1 green melon
1 cucumber, roughly chopped + extra for serving
½ cup mint, stalks removed
¼ cup white tequila
Pinch salt 

Method 

1. Zest one of the limes and juice all of them. Reserve a few slices for serving.
2. Peel, deseed and chop up the melon.
3. Blend all the ingredients until combined and strain through a fine sieve.
4. Pour into glasses with ice and serve with a slice of lime and cucumber.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za 

Rhubarb mojito 

Makes 1 // Cooking time 25 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the rhubarb syrup

2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups water
1 cup sugar 

3 mint leaves
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp white rum
1–2 Tbsp rhubarb syrup
½ cup crushed ice
200ml soda water
1 rhubarb ribbon
1 sprig mint
1 slice lime 

Method 

1. For the rhubarb syrup (which makes approximately 1 cup), place the rhubarb, water and sugar in a pot over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb has softened.
2. Mash the rhubarb with a potato masher, then strain the mixture through a sieve. Discard the pulp and allow the syrup to cool.

For the mojito cocktail

1. Place the mint leaves and lime juice in a glass and crush to release the flavour of the mint. 
2. Add the rum and rhubarb syrup and stir to combine.
3. Add the ice and top off with soda water.
4. To serve, garnish the mojito with a ribbon of rhubarb, a sprig of mint and a slice of lime.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

Also read: 3 spicy cocktails for summer

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Keen to keep it cool this season? Sjaan van der Ploeg has the perfect solution: spring fruit popsicles.  

Cucumber mint cooler 

Makes 6-8 

We used plastic cups to make these pops, but you can also use cleaned and dried mini yoghurt containers. For an adult version, add a tiny splash of white rum or vodka to make mojito lollies! 

Ingredients 

2 limes or 1 lemon, zested and juiced 
1 ½ large cucumbers, chopped 
2 cups water 2 punnets (20g each) mint, leaves picked 
½ cup sugar  

Method

1. Add ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. 
2. Divide mixture between 6-8 plastic cups (or use lolly moulds) and freeze for 1 hour before securing a wooden popsicle stick in each lolly. 
3. Freeze overnight. 
4. Run a warm cloth on the outside of the cups, unmould and serve immediately. 

Good idea
If you have popsicle moulds without the attachable stick holders, freeze the popsicles for 1 hour before inserting wooden sticks into the middle of each one. This way, the semi-frozen mixture holds the sticks in place, and they don’t sink to the side or bottom. You can also tape a grid of Sellotape over moulds to keep your sticks upright.

Citrus berry blast 

Makes 10 

Instead of orange juice, add cranberry or mixed berry juice for a full berry flavour. 

Ingredients 

250g fresh or frozen mixed berries (try strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) 
1/4 cup sugar 
1 lemon, juiced 
1 ½ cups orange juice  

Method

1. Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. 
2. Cook berries while stirring for about 10-15 minutes or until mixture turns a jammy consistency. Set aside to cool slightly. 
3. Place berry compote and orange juice in a blender, blitz until smooth. 
4. Decant mixture into two 5-cavity popsicle moulds and insert a wooden popsicle stick into each one. 
5. Freeze for 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving. 

Cook’s note
We used frozen berries because they release more vibrant colours and slightly more juice.

Roasted banana granola bars 

Makes 9 

You don’t need specific moulds to make popsicles, a loaf tray will do just fine! 

Ingredients 

4 bananas, sliced 
¼ cup brown sugar
3 cups full-cream yoghurt 
¼ cup honey, plus 
2 Tbsp for coating 
1 cup granola, lightly toasted  

For the blueberry compote 

125g frozen blueberries
¼ cup sugar 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Line a tray with baking paper, toss bananas in sugar and arrange in an even layer on tray. 
3. Roast bananas for about 25-30 minutes, until golden and caramelised. 
4. Pack roasted bananas into a plastic bag (along with any caramel from the tray) and freeze completely. 
5. 5. Add frozen bananas, yoghurt and ¼ cup of honey to a blender and blitz until smooth. 6. Heat remaining honey for a few seconds, then toss with granola to coat. 
6. Line a loaf tin with baking paper or plastic wrap. Pour mixture into prepared loaf tin and freeze for two hours before sprinkling granola over, pressing down to secure in the frozen yoghurt. 
7. Insert 6-8 popsicle sticks in a line along the middle of the tin, then return to the freezer for another 4 hours. 
8. Slice frozen yoghurt into bars and carefully remove with the assistance of a spatula or knife. 

Good idea
To avoid the granola sinking into the popsicle, the yoghurt needs to be semi-solid. Freeze mixture for a few hours until semi-frozen. Alternatively, freeze overnight, then remove for 30 minutes to thaw the surface slightly. Once the yoghurt has thawed, sprinkle over granola and press down to secure. Freeze for an hour before slicing and serving.

Rooibos iced tea 

Makes 12 

The rooibos syrup sinks to the bottom of the moulds to reveal a lovely, sticky lollipop top when removed. 

Ingredients 

For the rooibos syrup  

5 rooibos teabags 
2 cups water 
½ cup caster sugar  

1 lime, zested 
1 – 1 ½ cups rooibos-flavoured iced tea
½ peach or lemon, thinly sliced  

Method

1. Place syrup ingredients into a pot over medium heat. 
2. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 5 minutes before removing the tea bags. 
3. Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until reduced by half and slightly thickened. Stir through lime zest and set aside. 
4. Fill two 6-cavity popsicle moulds 3/4 of the way with iced tea and freeze for 1 hour. 
5. 5. Break the icy surface on partially frozen lollies and add 2 slices of peach or lemon, followed by the rooibos syrup until filled to the top. 
6. Secure popsicle sticks onto the moulds. Return to the freezer for another 6 hours, or preferably overnight. 
7. Remove moulds from the freezer and run a warm cloth along the outside to unmould. Serve immediately. 

Cook’s note
Use any flavour iced tea, then make a syrup using the same tea flavour as your drink. 

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg  

Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

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Spring has sprung! And with sunny weather and outdoor parties on the horizon, we are searching for words like ‘fruity’, ‘zesty’ and ‘fresh’ on the dessert menu.

Hosting an outdoor get-together? These 5 recipe will have your guests coming back for more.

Passionfruit pavlova layer cake

Serves 6–8

Prep time 1 hour

Cook time 15 min 

Ingredients 

For the pavlova 

2 pinches saffron
15 egg whites
2 ⅔ cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornflour, plus extra for dusting
2 Tbsp vinegar

For the passionfruit cream  

2 cups whipping cream
½ cup condense milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
¼ cup passionfruit or granadilla pulp
Strawberries, sliced, for decoration  

Method

For the pavlova 

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Line 2 (24 cm × 34 cm) baking trays. 
3. Whisk saffron and egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. Whisk in the cornflour and vinegar. 
5. Spread the mixture onto your prepared trays and bake for 15 minutes. 
6. Allow to cool in the tray before turning out onto baking paper and lightly dusting with cornflour. 
7. Trim the edges and cut the meringue to make 4 equal rectangles. Set aside.

Watch this for tips on how to make a fail-proof meringue. 

For the passionfruit cream 

1. Whip together all the ingredients, except the strawberries, to stuff peaks. 
2. Divide into 4 parts and spread between the meringue layers, then cover the cake with cream. 
3. Decorate with sliced strawberries and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Recipe by Faaiza Omar

Individual lemon and berry trifles

Serves 6

Ingredients 

For the berries 

½ cup raspberries
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp icing sugar, sifted

For the lemon cream 

½ cup cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
1 cup cream, whipped
¾ cup lemon curd

To assemble 

6 blueberry muffins

Method

For the berries 

Combine the raspberries with the lemon zest and juice and the icing sugar. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes. 

For the lemon cream 

Whip the cream cheese until smooth and soft before adding the vanilla, icing sugar and whipped cream. Fold to combine and then ripple the lemon curd through. 

To assemble 

Cut the muffins in quarters. Place two pieces at the bottom of each jar, followed by a dollop of cream, and then the berries. Repeat once more, finishing with a few berries on the top. 

Top tip: You can substitute blueberry muffins with lemon poppyseed and add store-bought meringues for extra crunch. 

Make one of these delicious trifles today! 

Recipes & Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Jotham Van Tonder  

Summery coconut and nectarine tart

Serves 8 

Cooking time 1 hour 30 min 

Ingredients 

For the pastry 

255g flour
125g cold butter, cubed
80g  icing sugar
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp ice water

For the filling 

2 eggs
75g caster sugar
40g desiccated coconut, plus extra to decorate
35g flour
75g butter, melted
450 g (3–4) nectarines, sliced into wedges

Method

For the pastry 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and blend until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  
3. Add egg yolks and water and blend again until the dough comes together. 
4. Turn the dough out and use your hands to form a ball. 
5. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface to about 5 mm thick.
7.  Line a 20 cm loose-bottomed tin with the pastry and prick the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes.
8. Blind-bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 

For the filling 

1.  Whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy.  
2. Mix in coconut and flour. 
3. Fold in the melted butter.
4. Spoon into cooled tart shell and spread evenly. 
5. Arrange the nectarine wedges over the filling and sprinkle with extra coconut.
6. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
7. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin. 

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli 

Three-ingredient granadilla ice cream

Makes 2l

Total time 20 min plus freezing time 

Ingredients 

1 cup cream
Pinch of salt
3 tubs (115g each) granadilla pulp, plus extra for serving (or fresh pulp from 6 granadillas)
3 tins (385g each) condensed milk
½ tub (10g) fresh mint, for serving

Method

1. Whip the cream and a pinch of salt together until stiff peaks form. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the granadilla pulp and condensed milk. Set some pulp aside for serving. 
3. Fold the whipped cream through the mixture. 
4. Pour the mixture into a large freeze-proof container and swirl through any remaining granadilla pulp to create a marbled effect. 
5. Freeze for at least 12 hours until firm to the touch. 
6. Scoop the ice cream into glass jars, drizzle with any remaining granadilla pulp and garnish with fresh mint. 

Granadilla pulp is tangy and sharp and balances out what would be a very sweet ice cream with pops of fruity freshness. 

Watermelon granita  

Serves 6

Cooking time 20 mins, plus freezing time

Ingredients  

¼ watermelon, plus slices to garnish
½ cup icing sugar, or to taste

Method

1. In a food processor, blend the flesh of the watermelon.
2. Strain through a sieve to get rid of the pips and pulp.
3. Add icing sugar and whisk well.
4. Pour into a shallow container and place in the freezer.
5. Once the mixture begins to freeze, scrape with a fork every 30 minutes to break up the ice crystals until it’s frozen and fluffy.
6. Serve in a tall glass with a spoon.

Recipe by Katlego Mlambo 

Turn your glass of bubbles into a granita with this recipe. 

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