Mulberries . . .

It’s mulberry season in sunny Geraldton. These trees grow like weeds here and reward us with lots and lots of fruit (so much that it’s a little overwhelming). The main reason I planted one, was for my kids to have the joy of climbing and eating and the fun of deep purple stained mouths and hands. Happily, the stains wash out easily in the wash with no extra soaking or stain removal required. I also just discovered that the stains come out of the carpet easily by dabbing them with a little vinegar.

What to do with all the excess fruit? There are only so many mulberry pies you can make (even if they are delicious), so I went on a hunt for another recipe which I’ll share below. I’ve adapted it from a recipe I found in Notebook magazine a few years back.

Mulberry Mousse

500g mulberries (stems removed)

1tsp grated orange rind

1tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup caster sugar

250ml thickened cream

250g mascarpone

1tbs Cointreau

1. Reserve 4 mulberries for a garnish. Place remaining mulberries, orange rind, lemon juice, sugar and 1tbs of water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for another 8-10 minutes until the fruit has broken down.

2. Transfer the mulberry mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside to cool.

3. Whisk together the cream, mascarpone and cointreau until firm peaks form and then carefully fold through the cooled mulberry mixture (you may like to sieve this first if you require a smoother texture).

4. Place mixture in four pretty glasses and refrigerate until chilled. Top each mousse with a mulberry and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve with a small shortbread biscuit on the side.

Serves 4.

Easy and delicious! Are you a mulberry lover?