Berry and Native Muntries Bake
In keeping with my theme of creating recipes that are easy, simple and quick to make but still pack a lot of flavour, I am so happy to share my Berry & Native Muntries Bake with you! You may remember a little while back I cooked lunch for my friends at Montville Estate, which is a gorgeous property owned by my friends who recently moved back to the Sunshine Coast from Melbourne. They have a very cute Airbnb cottage on the property called The Postman's Cottage and while I was staying there, we decided to make an occasion of it and throw a long lunch. For dessert, I wanted to make something that had that all important "wow" factor, but also wouldn't see me spend hours in the kitchen on my own while everyone was outside enjoying the wine and conversation around the table. I put a lot of thought into this and realised that dessert bakes don't need fancy homemade pastry - and here we are.
Why you are going to love this dessert
This Berry and Native Muntries Bake couldn't be more simple to put together - no baking prowess is needed here. In a large baking tray, you simply combine chopped green apples, a mix of frozen berries (any combination is totally fine - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries!), sugar, native muntries, cornflour, lemon and vanilla extract with a spoon and place little squares of ready made pastry on top, and brush it with egg wash and sprinkling raw sugar on top, before baking in the oven until the pastry is golden brown and flaky. Yes, it's that easy! You can serve this dessert with vanilla ice cream, or dairy free coconut ice cream, or thickened cream.
The hero of this dessert is the addition of native muntries fruit powder. It adds the most subtle yet sweet spicy apply sherbet flavour that pairs beautifully with the berries and pastry. To be honest, I was really nervous about this dessert as I wasn't sure what everyone would think but to my honest surprise, everyone loved it! Now you can obviously make this dish without the native muntries but I do encourage you to try it. There is just something so special about cooking with native ingredients.
What are native muntries?
Muntries are small native fruits, reminiscent of blueberries, that grow on a low shrub or ground cover. They boast more than twice the antioxidant profile of a blueberry and are highly valued by the Aboriginal people in Victoria and South Australia. The berries were consumed fresh, dried and pulped for later use, or dried and traded with other tribes.
What do native muntries taste like?
Green to red in colour with a purplish tinge as they ripen, native muntries have a spicy apple sherbet taste that compliments lots of desserts, cakes, jams, chutneys, sauces, dressings, and lots more! The small berries, up to 1cm in size, contain high levels of Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, sodium and fibre.
Where can I get native muntries from?
For this recipe, I used native freeze dried native muntries fromThe Australian Superfood Co. If you're new to cooking with native ingredients, I highly recommend theirFruit Powder Sample Pack. It's a great place to start and you can try cooking with 7 native superfood powders.
Where are native muntries grown?
Native muntries are found along Australia’s southern coast in Victoria and South Australia.
Do I need to use native muntries in this recipe?
No, not at all. But I do encourage you to! There is just something so special about cooking with native ingredients, and native muntries are one of the most special native ingredients.
How can I incorporate native muntries into my everyday cooking?
This recipe is a great place to start! You can enjoy it fresh in your morning smoothie for an uber-refreshing drink, or watch it go down a treat in your sauces and jams! Or you can add a teaspoon of The Australia Superfood Co Freeze Dried Native Muntries Powder to your desserts, jams, chutneys, cakes and lots more.
It's no secret I love cooking with native Australian ingredients, so while you're here make sure you check out these recipes featuring native ingredients, Lemon & Native Finger Lime Macadamia Tart, Warm Lemon Rossella Self Saucing Pudding, Lemon Myrtle & Thyme Damper, Apple & Quandong Galette, Campfire Baked Brie with Bush Dukkah, and Rhubarb and Apple Crumble with Davidson Plum.
Information about native muntries has been obtained from The Australian Superfood Co website, which I consider to be a great native Australian ingredients resource.
Photos by Aimee Dodge.
Berry and Native Muntries Bake
Servings
8
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
I am so happy to share my Berry & Native Muntries Bake with you! This Berry and Native Muntries Bake couldn't be more simple to put together - no baking prowess is needed here. In a large baking tray, you simply combine chopped green apples, a mix of frozen berries (any combination is totally fine - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries!), sugar, native muntries, cornflour, lemon and vanilla extract with a spoon and place little squares of ready made pastry on top, and brush it with egg wash and sprinkling raw sugar on top, before baking in the oven until the pastry is golden brown and flaky. Yes, it's that easy! You can serve this dessert with vanilla ice cream, or dairy free coconut ice cream, or thickened cream.
Ingredients
4 green apples, core removed and roughly chopped into 2cm cubes
8 cups of fresh or frozen berries, use any frozen berries you like - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries.
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 gram The Australian Superfood Co Freeze Dried Native Muntries Powder
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 1/2 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 shortcut pastry sheets
1 egg, whisked
3 tablespoon raw sugar
1/4 cup icing sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 200C. In a large baking tray, combine apples, berries, caster sugar, native muntries powder, cornflour, lemon and vanilla extract with a spoon.
Cut pastry sheets into 16 squares and layer them on top of the berry mixture. Brush whisked egg all over the pastry and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake in the oven for 30 to 45 mins or until the pastry is golden brown and flaky.
Remove from the oven when ready, spinkle icing sugar on top. Serve and enjoy!
