You too can make Dessert Pizza just like the professionals!

A few years ago I was introduced to Dessert Pizza, at the time it seemed not quite right, eating sweet, fruit as a Pizza topping. I was hooked instantly! We have formulated an easy Dessert Pizza from using Tropical Fast & Fruity as the base ingredient, with hints of pineapple and mange it couldn't be better!

We hope you like this also.

Ingredients

1 x 500gm pouch of Fast & Fruity Tropical

Thin crust Pizza base (we brought ours)

150gms Desiccated Coconut

100gms Cream Cheese

100gms dried Cranberry’s (or any other dried fruit)

100gms – White Chocolate (Melted once pizza is cooked)

1 Banana

Method

Heat oven to 200deg, placed a thin crust Pizza base on flat oven sheet commence building your scrumptious dessert pizza.

Spread cream cheese evenly over base, with some generous blobs throughout. Then cover entire base (and cream cheese) with Tropical Fast & Fruity (depending on size of base you may not use entire pouch). Sprinkle desiccated coconut over the top, followed by the cranberries.

Finely slice the banana and place slices across the middle of the base. (we sprinkled a little brown sugar over Banana to get that golden caramelised look)

Bake in the centre of the oven for between 15 – 20mins (depending on what the pack instructions say) once base is cooked and coconut is toasted and banana is toasted, remove Pizza from oven, place on board and decorate with melted chocolate, we piped the chocolate on finely. Use your preference of chocolate white or dark. (One option for kids is to sprinkle Mini marshmallows over before cooking)

Bon Appetite!

Tried and trusted Winter Warmers - Berry Rumble Crumble

Now that winter is here how nice would it be to be able to whip up a hot, tasty dessert for the family (or yourself) its so easy the kids could make this for you.

Ingredients:

1 x 500gm pouch of Berry Fast & Fruity

Crumble topping:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed

1 cup rolled oats

 ½ cup of your favorite mixed nuts toasted (chopped finely)

1 tsp mixed spice

100g soft Butter

Method

Preheat oven to 160 deg C

Lightly toast mixed nuts on a roastng pan, toss nuts to achevie even toasting, leave oven at temperature to cook crumble.

In a bowl combine all crumble ingredients, add semi soft butter last, to get your preffered crumble consistancy, do not over mix.

Lightly grease oven dish/remekins  (optional edition) add a layer of extra thinly sliced apples to bottom of ramekin if prefer a thicker consistency.

Pour Berry Fast & Fruity into prepared dishes . Add crumble topping, bake at approximately 160deg C for 35-40 minutes until crumble is bubbling and golden brown.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and or a  dollop of whip cream or cream fraiche on the side.

FreshFields heading for Sial D’Or 2012

The International Sial D’Or competition presents the best of the food industry while bringing large multinationals onto a level playing field with smaller local food producers, the honors go to the one who wagers more on attracting customer satisfaction.

There are nine categories within Sial D’Or dedicated to products but it’s so much more than just a competition. It’s an important forum to bring the worlds food industry press closer to the product manufacturers to learn about their innovations and write about the new solutions being launched onto the market.

The responsibility for the products that are presented to the competition is conducted by the specialised magazine in each country, (Supermarket News NZ) which is also a jury member.

In 2012 FreshFields Apple Sauce and Apple Syrup have been selected for the sweet grocery category and will share in representing New Zealand’s finest products with just 8 other NZ food entries.

The FreshFields Apple Syrup is aimed at both restaurant and home chefs who seek innovative food products, the apple syrup is a special food ingredient that adds delight to any plate or recipe.

FreshFields Apple Sauce won ‘Grocers Choice” at the NZ Food Awards in Oct 2011. The Apple Sauce shows innovation in numerous ways, with its 100% pure NZ apple formulation, no sugars or preservatives added, in conjunction with the convenient packaging, adding value to the consumer.

Judging is at Sial D’Or show Montreal in May, then its off to Sial D’Or Paris for exhibition. Look out world, here comes FreshFields.   

Watching the Paint Dry

I always understood the saying 'watching paint dry' as a humorous expression, meaning it is boring.

This was until I saw it on the sides of our fantastic new FreshFields truck which made its public debut last week at the Enzafoods 50^th celebration party while the paint was still literally drying on the truck. Nothing like a deadline for maximum impact!  

The truck now is travelling between AK and ChCH (via the Hawkes Bay) daily – you have to admit, it looks great and will be hard to miss.

http://www.tankblog.co.nz/2012/02/watching-paint-dry-with-enzafoods/

Do Awards confirm quality to consumers?

Winning an award can be explained as a bi product of a well-executed project. For Enzafoods the 480gm FreshFields Apple Sauce project originated from a staff members suggestion.

Preliminary research went into identifying the market need and approval, as the 120gm pouch packaging was seen to be innovative in this category. The packaging graphics were very important; these define a products visual identity and its aesthetic quality. Without the traditional glass jar window, we needed the graphics to reflect the quality and freshness of the Apple Sauce inside.

Winning the Grocers Choice Award at the NZ Food Awards has now given Enzafoods the opportunity to make the most on this achievement through adding a logo on the FreshFields Apple Sauce packaging. We all know gold medals have tangible merit with wine sales, the marketing team at Enzafoods will be keenly watching if consumers acknowledge the point of difference on the shelf with their now award winning Apple Sauce.

www.turnersandgrowers.com/t-and-g.../new-newspage-12/

The Supreme Pie is now a Fruit Pie

In New Zealand we chew through around 75 million pies each year. This year has seen the highest number of entries ever for the NZ Pie Awards, over 4400 entries from more than 380 bakeries.

Congratulations to VIANDS Bakery of KihiKihi and Te Awamutu, for becoming only the second ever entrant to win the coveted supreme award with a FRUIT PIE.

Kathy and Shane Kearns won the Supreme Pie Award with their Spiced Plum Port and Apple Pie.  Shane makes the pastry while Kathy creates the filling.

Kathy said the inspiration for the winning pie came in the middle of the night, and when she told her husband she wanted to make a port wine and plum pie, he added “ Yes, plus apple”

When ENZAFOODS phoned Viand Bakery this morning, staff confirmed the apple used in the winning pie was “New Zealand Made, FreshFields Sliced Apple”.

Judge James Buckrell, of BJs Bakery chain in Hastings, said the Kearns’ gourmet fruit pie was a real stand out.

Enzafoods, producers of FreshFields branded products, is delighted with this result. Obviously the Kearns recognise quality ingredients, and to infuse this selection together to achieve such a great result is outstanding. “We couldn’t be happier for the team at Viands”.

With New Zealand’s appetite for pies, it would be great to see a revival in the once traditional Apple Pie.

Are you searching for the ultimate, apple pudding recipe?

When looking for a recipe that tastes as good as Grandma made – combined with the Zing of vibrant new products, this recipe features it all…… using the goodness of fresh apples with the intense flavours of pure Apple Syrup, not forgetting to include Apple Sauce as a part substitute for butter thus reducing the fat content in the overall recipe. (We love this feature). Recently Kelly Young featured FreshFields Apple sauce and Apple Syrup into her Steamed Apple pudding on the new cooking show ‘The Chefs Apprentice’ on Prime TV. We now want to share this heavenly desert with you. Enjoy!

FreshFields Steamed Apple Pudding

25g butter

8 tbsp FreshFields Apple Syrup

4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes

85g FreshFields Apple Sauce

100g caster sugar

1 lemon, zested

2 eggs, beaten

125g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1.    Grease a 1.2 litre pudding basin.  Fill a large pan halfway with water and bring to the boil.

2.    Melt 6 tbsp of FreshFields apple syrup with butter in a frying pan.  Let everything bubble together for a couple of minutes then add the apple and cook for a further 4 minutes.

3.    Beat together FreshFields apple sauce, the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl with electric whisk until well mixed.  Beat in the eggs, flour and baking powder until combined.  Stir in the rest of the syrup.

Put the toffee apple mixture into the pudding basin and spoon in the flour mixture over.  Cover with the lid and place into the large saucepan and cover.  Turn the heat down to a simmer.  Cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours.  The pudding is cooked when you can insert a skewer into the middle of it and it comes out clean.  Turn onto a plate and serve with custard and a drizzle of FreshFields Apple Syrup.     

*Important Note:  When placing pudding bowl into the boiling water, take care not to overfill the pot with water.  When it boils the water level rises and could splash into the pudding bowl.

Is feeding your child with allergens or eczema challenging?

It's often difficult to find foods appropriate for people with allergens or eczema and in particular children. We are all taught the benefits of eating fruit so with the wide variety of apples in New Zealand it's hard not to consume plenty at this time of year. However something we have recently been advised by dietician Anna Richards from Grafton Specialists is “Apple variety’s such as Granny Smith, Braeburn etc are much higher in salicylate and are not recommended for children with allergens or eczema”.

The good news is the Royal Gala apple is a bland sweet variety and is much lower in naturally occurring food chemical called salicylate. “Salicylate can be an aggravator in young children and is not well tolerated in salicylate sensitivity” Anna confirms.

Enzafoods have recognised this and other benefits of the Royal Gala apple and are now making a Royal Gala variety specific, Fresh Fields Apple Sauce in a 120gm pouch (4 per retail box). Anna thought the individual portioned pouch is ideal for Mums feeding small children. “The 120gm pouch purees are great as a base for feeding small infants straight or adding cooked vegetables or other fruits”.

They are handy apple sauce portions for roast pork nights, ideal for adding fruit on breakfasts cereals or desserts and if popped in the freezer they can then be whizzed into Smoothies as a complete fruit portion. Kept in the pantry providing a fresh apple product 365 days per year, no more half empty jars, cluttering up the fridge. From supermarkets now.