Easy Aronia Dessert

We tried a few new desserts lately. This one was the easiest!

1 8 oz softened cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 large carton whipped topping

1 Angel food cake (cubed)

Beat Cream Cheese, powdered sugar, fold in topping and cake cubes. Scoop into a 9 x 13″ pan.

The topping can be pie filling of your choice, or we used Aronia Berries:

1/2 cup Aronia Juice (or water)

4 cups Aronia Berries (chopped in a food processor)

2 cups sugar

Cook down berries in the liquid until sugar is dissolved and simmer. Thicken with 6 T corn starch. Cool completely and top the dessert.

Aronia Berry Gummies

To make the gummies, I began with the pure juice we make in the steam juicer. If you don’t have that available, try cooking them down and running them through the food processor/vitamix.

2 Cups Aronia Juice

1/2 Cup Honey

1 box Knox Gelatin

We followed the directions on the gelatin, only instead of water, we used the juice, added the honey. Whisked well and put into the silicone molds that were sprayed prior to using. It makes a lot of gummies. They need to be kept refrigerated.

We have also used a large box of strawberry gelatin, used only 2 cups juice instead of the 4 cups of water. To that we also added 2 packages of unflavored gelatin. These have a different flavor the girls love.

Pear Aronia Granola

1 cup Aronia Berries

2 cups unpeeled pears

1 tsp lemon juice

2 cups oatmeal

1 cups almonds

1 cup cashews or pecans

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup peanut or almond butter

3 Tbsps maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Put diced pears and aronia in large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.  Add chopped nuts and oats.  In a small bowl combine nut butter, syrup, water and spice.  Mix into dry ingredients.  Place on sprayed baking sheet.  Bake 1.5 hours stirring every 30 minutes.  Turn off oven, let dry in oven 2 hours to finish dehydrating fruit.

Great with granola, fruit, as a cereal, or a snack mix.

 

Surprising Aronia Fudge 

Measure, wash and set 1/2 cup Aronia Berries aside on a platter lined with paper towels to absorb moisture.  (I used frozen berries, but fresh would work also).

Butter sides of heavy 3 quart saucepan.  Add:

• 4 cups granulated sugar
•  14-1/2 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 cup butter

Cook over medium heat to softball stage (236 degrees), stirring often.  Remove from heat.  Stir in:

• 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate pieces
• 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
• 1 tsp vanilla

Stir until chocolate melts.  Fold in berries.  Pour into buttered 13 x 9 x 2″ pan.

Score when warm, cut when firm.

Pear Nut Aronia Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup softened butter or 3/4 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsps. vanilla
• 2 cups peeled grated pears
• 1/3 cup aronia

Preheat oven at 350.   Spray two 9.5″ loaf pans.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Stir pecans into the flour.

Mix together butter (or oil), eggs, sugar, pears, aronia berries, and vanilla.  Stir this into the dry ingredients until just mixed.  Put into two loaf pans or 10″ tube pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes until done.

Raw Berry Crisp

• 6 cups mixed berries (Aronia, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, whatever combo you like)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup pitted dates (or you may use raisins and prunes)
• 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon

In a food processor blend nuts, dates or dried fruits and cinnamon until coarsely ground.

Toss berries with maple syrup.   Scatter over berries and serve.  I also like it as a breakfast cereal topped with almond milk.

Apple Aronia Pie

• 1/2 cup Aronia
• 4 cups Apples sliced, cored and peeled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsps. lemon juice
• 4 Tbsps. flour

Mix together al ingredients.   Top with 2 pats butter.  Enclose in a pie crust.  Bake 10 minutes at 400, 1 hour at 350.

Mexican Chocolate Berry Chili

• 3 Tbsps. Cocoa
• 1/4 Cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 lb. Aronia Berries
• 2 lbs. Ground Beef
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cans chili beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can tomato paste
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes with diced chilies
• 5 tsps. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 16 oz.can corn

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.   Rinse.   Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly in a large dutch oven.   Place in a crock pot to simmer on low for several hours before serving.  An excellent make ahead, or the night before, and let simmer all day for a great chili to come home to on a cold day.   Just a little different!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar (1 brown and 1 white works too)
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 5 cups flour (I usually use 2 c whole wheat and 3 unbleached white)
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 1 cup aronia berries
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix butter, shortening and sugars.  Add eggs, vanilla and soda.  Mix in the flour.  Add the berries and chocolate chips.  Berries may be fresh or frozen and will tend to turn the cookies a swirly purple when mixed.   Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Banana Aronia Bread

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Aronia Berries

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

4 Mashed Bananas

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix ingredients together.  Bake in greased loaf pan (or make into muffins).  Bread bakes 1 hour at 325.

We even have a special “granddaughter” who won a blue ribbon with this recipe at the Warren County Fair.  

Oatmeal Aronia Drop Cookies

2 Cups Oatmeal

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 Cup melted shortening

1 Cup Aronia Berries

1 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 4 Tbsp Milk

2 Eggs

Mix dry ingredients.  To the dry ingredients add the shortening, eggs, and soda/milk mixture.  Mix well.  Fold in berries.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.

This recipe makes dark kind of ugly cookies but wow they taste extraordinary, our son loves them!

All Fruit Smoothie

1/4 Cup Orange Juice

1 Cup Peaches, Drained

2 Medium Bananas, in chunks

1/2 Cup Frozen Aronia Berries

Put ingredients in a blender in this order. Blend until the drink is smooth.  Delicious!

Also try adding to your salads, favorite smoothies, vinaigrette dressings, pancakes, marinades, BBQs, soups, lemonade, ice tea, or make a syrupy icing and use over cakes.   Be creative, there are many uses for this healthy, versatile little purple gem.

 

Easy Healthy Stew

2 -4 lbs. of stew meat chopped fine (depending upon how meaty you like)

6 medium carrots (sliced or about 1/2 bag of mini carrots)

2 large onions chopped

8 medium potatoes quartered

4 stalks chopped celery chopped

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can peas (or frozen peas)

1 can green beans

1/2 cup frozen Aronia Berries

3 T minute tapioca

2 Qts tomato juice

Garlic salt

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Combine all ingredients and bake covered in a large dutch oven roaster at 250 for 5 hours. Don’t open the lid, just let bake. Serves 8

I haven’t made it in the crockpot, but I bet it would fill my large crockpot and work just fine on low all day. EXCELLENT on a cool fall or winter night.

Strawberry Aronia Layered Dessert

For Cookie Crust: 

36 golden sandwich cookies 

1/2 cup butter,  melted 

Process cookies in a food processor to make fine crumbs.  In a bowl, melt butter & stir in cookie crumbs until evenly moistened.  Press into bottom of 9×13” pan.  Set in freezer to firm while making the next layer. 

Aronia Cheesecake Layer: 

1 1/2 cups chopped Aronia Berries

1/2 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 1/4 cups whipped cream 

Put Aronia berries in food processor (can be frozen) and pulse a few times quickly, doesn’t have to be fine.  Cream together butter, powdered sugar and cream cheese.  Add whipped cream to the cheesecake mixture and combine.  Fold in the chopped berries.  Spread mixture over the chilled crust.  Refrigerate.

Strawberry Gelatin Layer: 

3 oz package strawberry gelatin

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup strawberry Greek yogurt

4 cups whipped cream

In a large bowl, combine gelatin and boiling water; stir to dissolve.  Cool to room temperature.  Whisk in yogurt until combined with gelatin.  Add whipped cream and mix until evenly combined.  Pour mixture over cream cheese layer, smoothing the top.  Refrigerate 2-3 hours until set. 

Top Layer:

Top with whipped cream dob and a berry.  

Recipe fills a 9 x 13″ pan.