Super Recipe – Blueberry Acai Swirl Ice Cream

In this Friday’s episode of our Super Recipes, we feature the humble but amazing acai berry! Besides being amazingly effective at combating heat when consumed, acai berries have several other health benefits. Firstly, they improve heart health – research shows that acai berries are high in anthocyanins^[1], a plant antioxidant that lowers blood cholesterol levels. Secondly, they aid in weight loss – a study by the National Institutes of Aging found that the pulp from acai berries significantly contributed to the reduction of negative effects of a high-fat diet in flies^[2]. Thirdly, consuming acai berries cleanses our digestive systems as they have powerful detoxification capacities^[3]. These amazing berries not only improve our health internally, they can also make us look better on the outside. Due to their richness in antioxidants (one acai berry holds 10 times the amount of antioxidants as one grape), acai berries can slow or reverse aging processes – look forward to saying hello to a younger-looking you! Here’s a recipe that makes you feel good in two fantabulous ways – stay healthy with acai berries, and consume ice cream. Who doesn’t love ice cream!? — Ingredients For the ice cream: 400 ml coconut milk 90g maple syrup For the jam: 1 tbs acai powder 1 punnet blueberries 1 tsp lemon juice Method 1. Blend coconut milk and maple syrup on high until well combined. Put mixture in a container and chill in the refrigerator overnight. 2. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker for about 30 minutes (make sure ice cream bowl is frozen). 3. Meanwhile, process acai powder, blueberries and lemon juice until combined. 4. Spread 1/3 of the ice cream in the bottom of a container. Top with 1/3 of the jam and swirl lightly with a toothpick. Repeat 2 more times and freeze for at least 6 hours. — References ^[1] Pozo-Insfran, D. D., Brenes, C. H., & Talcott, S. T. (2004). Phytochemical composition and pigment stability of açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52(6), pp. 1539-45. ^[2] Sun, X. et al. (2010). Açai palm fruit (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp improves survival of flies on a high fat diet. Experimental Gerontology, 45(3), pp. 243-51. ^[3] Zafra-Stone, S., Bagchi, M., & Bagchi, D. (2007). Health benefits of edible berry anthocyanins: Novel antioxidant and anti-angiogenic properties. Antioxidant Measurement and Applications, 956, pp 337-51.