Yes, it’s another of my dessert-based smoothies, which have been something of a hit. This Black Forest Smoothie has all the flavours you would expect in it - chocolate and cherries to be precise.
As always, these are very easy to make. I started with some frozen sweet black cherries, thawed or partially thawed and a frozen banana, again thawed. Freezing the bananas makes them super-sweet when thawed and become a perfect consistency for whizzing up in the processor.
I always think that a drop of almond extract also enhances the taste of cherries, so there is a wee bit of that in there too.
And of course, a dessert based smoothie is nothing without a drop of vanilla extract. I added a little bit of sweetness with a teaspoon of agave syrup. If you don’t have that on hand then a bit of honey would do the trick too.
And lastly - that chocolate taste, which comes from unsweetened cocoa powder. Not very healthy for smoothie you may be thinking, but unsweetened cocoa is actually full of minerals and flavonoids. It’s very high in antioxidants and one tablespoon, which is used here has only 12 calories!
Here’s how I made it:
Ingredients:200 grams frozen black cherries, thawed (or partially thawed)1 large frozen banana, thawed1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder½ teaspoon almond extract1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon agave syrup or honeyMilk, any kind – amount will vary
Method:
In your blender add all of the ingredients, except the milk and blitz until smooth. At this stage add milk so the contents of the blender jug reach 500ml. Blitz again.
And that is it. I frothed up some milk and spooned this on top to get a cream like effect on top. But this is entirely optional.
But the flavor of this smoothie is so unmistakably Black Forest Gateau like, that you may never reach for a slice of the actual cake again! Why have your cake when you can drink it?! Enjoy…
