Rote Grütze with Red Berries

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g frozen red berries
• 250 ml apple juice (200 ml for cooking, 50 ml for mixing the cornflour)
• 75 g caster sugar (60 g for the fruit, 15 g for the sauce)
• 30 g cornflour (3 level tbsp)
• ½ lemon (for the juice)
• 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
• 400 g natural yoghurt made with semi-skimmed milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

🍴 Utensils

• Medium saucepan
• Bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Whisk
• 4 dessert bowls or glasses

📖 Steps

1. In the bowl, mix the cornflour with 50 ml of cold apple juice, stirring until there are no lumps left. Cornflour must always be mixed with a cold liquid before going into a hot mixture, otherwise it forms clumps.
2. Put the still-frozen red berries, 200 ml of apple juice, 60 g of sugar and the cinnamon in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring gently: the fruit should release its juice without turning into a purée.
3. Stir the cornflour mixture again, as it settles at the bottom of the bowl, then pour it into the pan in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Let it bubble gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until the juice becomes glossy, translucent and coats the spoon.
4. Remove from the heat, squeeze the half lemon and add its juice. Taste: the mixture should be fruity and slightly tart. Divide between the bowls straight away, as it thickens quickly as it cools.
5. Leave to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The Rote Grütze then sets to a jellied compote texture that holds its shape on the spoon.
6. Make the sauce: whisk the yoghurt with 15 g of sugar and the vanilla extract for 1 minute, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is smooth and slightly runny. Keep it in the fridge until serving.
7. When ready to serve, spoon all the well-chilled yoghurt sauce over the bowls, about 100 g per person. The contrast between the tart fruit and the sweet vanilla sauce is what makes this dessert so special.