Raspberry & Apple Ribena Plus Hot Cross Buns

We've worked with family and food blogger, Mellow Mummy, to create a fruity, delicious Easter recipe - Ribena Plus Hot Cross Buns. A tasty twist on the classic Hot Cross Bun recipe, these are great to make over the Easter weekend and an activity that the whole family can get involved in! Makes 6

You'll need:

For the buns:

• 350g strong white bread flour
• 30g caster sugar
• 1/2 of a 7g packet of fast-action yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 75ml warm milk
• 50ml undiluted Raspberry & Apple Ribena Plus squash
• 30g unsalted butter (melted and then cooled)
• 1 small egg, beaten
• 100g fresh raspberries
• 1 medium-sized eating apple
• 1 knob of unsalted butter
• Sunflower oil for greasing

For the crosses:

• 1 teaspoon undiluted Raspberry & Apple Ribena Plus squash
• 10g cold unsalted butter
• 15g plain flour
• 8g caster sugar

For the glaze:

• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon undiluted Raspberry & Apple Ribena Plus squash
• 2 tablespoons water

To make:

1. First make a shortcrust pastry for the crosses. Rub the butter, flour and sugar together with your fingertips to make a fine bread-crumb-like mixture. Add just enough of the Raspberry & Apple Ribena Plus to bring the mixture together to form a dough. Chill in the fridge for later.
2. Peel and core the apple and slice it into small pieces about 1cm cubed. Melt the knob of butter in a small pan and then gently heat the apple pieces until they soften and just begin to colour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine 250g of the bread flour along with the caster sugar, yeast, salt, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the warm milk and the Raspberry & Apple Ribena Plus. Stir gently before adding the egg and the melted butter. Stir until it just starts to come together to form a dough.
5. Add the cooled apple pieces and the whole raspberries and then use your hands to combine the fruit into the dough. The bread dough will become very sticky and very pink!
6. Once combined, place the rest of the flour on a clean work surface and then place the dough onto the flour. Carefully knead the dough for at least 5 minutes. The dough will take on all of the extra bread flour and may even need a little extra flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
7. Once the bread dough is bouncy and elastic, place it into a large clean bowl that has been greased with a little oil. Cover with a piece of cling film and then place the bowl somewhere warm (for instance the airing cupboard!) to rise for at least 1.5 hours until it has doubled in size.
8. Once the dough has risen, knead it again to remove any large air bubbles and then break it up into six pieces. Roll the pieces to form round buns and then place on a greased baking tray.
9. Roll out the chilled shortcrust pastry until it is about 4mm thick. Cut it into 12 slices of about 1cm wide. Brush the tops of the buns with a little water and then stick the pastry strips to the top of each bun in a cross. Trim the pastry at the sides and tuck the edges underneath the buns to make them neat and tidy.
10. Return the buns to their warm place to rise for another 30 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200 C.
12. Bake the buns for 15 minutes and while they are cooking, make the glaze.
13. To make the glaze place the sugar, water and Raspberry & Apple Ribena Plus into a small pan and warm it over a low heat until the sugar has fully dissolved. You won’t need too much sugar (it’s more to get the glaze shiny), as the sweet taste of the Ribena Plus is a good substitute – and it’s no added sugar which is great!
14. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack and brush each of them with a good coating of the glaze to give them a shiny glow.
15. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Attributed to Emma Button, Mellow Mummy

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Blackcurrant crumble

Let's get ready to crumble! This yummy blackcurrant crumble recipe takes the tanginess of our favourite fruit - the splendid blackcurrant, and makes it into a warming treat.

You'll need:

For the filling:

• 600g frozen blackcurrants (or frozen berry mix)
• 3tbsp caster sugar

For the crumble:

• 350g plain white flour
• 110g salted butter, softened and diced
• 110g demarara sugar
• 2 handfuls of porridge oats to sprinkle over the top. Alternatively you could use flaked almonds!

To make:

1. Defrost the berries and pour into an ovenproof dish (including the juice).
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
3. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the top of the berries and mix in.
4. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the butter.
5. With your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs and there are no large lumps of butter left. This will take around 5 minutes.
6. Now mix the demarara sugar in with the flour / butter mixture.
7. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top of the berries making an even layer.
8. Scatter over a thin layer of porridge oats on the top for texture and decoration.
9. Put in the oven for around 35-40 minutes, until the top is slightly golden and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
10. Take out the oven and serve with custard or cream. Yum!

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Lovely lavender-coloured cupcakes

Have a go at these lovely lavender-coloured cupcakes, ideal for a party or just because! This recipe will make around 24 cupcakes.

You'll need:

• 6oz/170g caster sugar
  
• 6oz/170g margarine or butter
• 6oz/170g self raising flour
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 1 teaspoon of treacle
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 120ml/4fl oz milk
• 300g fresh or (defrosted) frozen blueberries

For the topping:

• 2oz/56g margarine
  
• 4oz/113g icing sugar
• A little milk
• A drop of purple food colouring
• Blackcurrants or sprinkles (optional)

To make:

1. Cream the butter and sugar then gently mix in the whisked eggs, treacle and warm water. Fold in the flour and baking powder and spoon into bun cases.
2. Bake at 180 C (or gas mark 4) for 20-25 minutes until brown and springy to touch.
3. Leave your cupcakes to cool.
4. Prepare your topping by mixing the icing sugar and margarine then adding a drop of the purple food colouring. Pipe or spread onto your cooled cupcakes. Finally, decorate with blackcurrants, sprinkles or whatever you like.
5. Now all that’s left to do is share your lovely cupcakes with your family or friends and enjoy!

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Ribena jelly

This fruity Ribena jelly recipe is fantastic for birthday parties and is simple and fun to make, so you can get the children involved too!

You'll need:

• Sugar free raspberry (or strawberry) flavoured jelly
• 100ml Ribena Blackcurrant or Strawberry squash
• Strawberries or raspberries (a handful)

To make:

1. In a medium pan, bring water to the boil. Pour the jelly into the water gradually and stir until dissolved.
2. Turn off heat and keep stirring for about five minutes, until the bubbles disappear and the mixture becomes clear.
3. Once mixture is slightly cooled, add Ribena squash and stir well.
4. Place berries into a glass and pour jelly over.
5. Leave to cool then chill in fridge overnight.
6. Top with vanilla yoghurt, serve and enjoy!

Berry boost smoothie

The Ribena Team has been busy whizzing up some mouth-watering berry recipes in the Ribena kitchen, and this fruit smoothie from our friends at The Blackcurrant Foundation is a delicious and easy way to get some tasty red and purple berries into your daily diet.

Using a mixture of fresh and frozen berries makes this fruit smoothie refreshingly cool and thirst-quenching.

You'll need:

• 20g frozen blackcurrants (alternatively, you can use summer fruits containing blackcurrants)
• 20g fresh blueberries
• 40g fresh raspberries
• 20g pitted fresh or frozen cherries
• 100ml grape juice

To make:

Blitz or blend your ingredients together and, hey presto, your smoothie is ready to drink!

You can share your fruity smoothie pictures on the Ribena Facebook page or on Twitter @RibenaUK.

Spooky Ribena fruit punch

Want to cause a splash at Halloween?

Why not serve up the family their favourite drink as a spooky fruit punch?

Simply choose your favourite Ribena squash flavour then pour into a bowl and add water. Then add chopped fruit, such as apples, oranges and strawberries to make a creepy punch, plus jellied spider sweets and candy eyeballs to add a real Halloween edge.

Make sure you serve your Ribena into bowls with a ladle for a witch’s brew effect and we'd love to see pictures of your spooky fruit punches over on the Ribena Facebook page or on Twitter @RibenaUK.

Happy Halloween!

Bonfire Night blondies

Wrap up warm this Bonfire Night and enjoy these delicious Ribena and white chocolate blondies as you watch the fireworks.

They should go down a treat with the whole family and you can enjoy them at any time of year, washed down with your favourite Ribena drink! This recipe will make around 16 slices of blondie.

You'll need:

• 150g white chocolate
• 75g butter
• 150g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 250g dark brown soft sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 20 raspberries, frozen

For the Ribena batter:

• 150ml Original Ribena Blackcurrant Squash
• 100g plain flour

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C and line an 8″ square tin with foil or greaseproof paper. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over boiling water on the hob.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar for 3 minutes, then add chocolate and stir well. Sieve in flour, baking powder and salt and add vanilla extract.
3. Put half the batter in a separate bowl and add the Ribena and extra flour.
4. Dollop bits of each type of batter into the tin until you've used about half of each. You can be as messy as you like with this bit!
5. Sprinkle half the raspberries in at this point.
6. Dollop the rest of the batter in.
7. Using a fork, gently swirl the batters together.
8. Put the rest of the raspberries in, gently pushing them into the batter (so they don't get cooked on top).
9. Bake for 45 minutes then remove from oven.
10. Leave to cool completely in the tin before slicing - if you can bear to wait!

Thanks to www.laythetable.com for this fantastic recipe!