Fresh Berries & Dark Chocolate Platter

A five-minute dessert that satisfies a sweet craving without the sugar spike. Polyphenol-rich and naturally elegant.

There is a quiet myth that eating well means giving up dessert. It does not. It just means choosing puddings that work with your body rather than against it, and this one is a lovely example. Fresh berries and a little good dark chocolate take moments to put together, and yet it feels genuinely indulgent.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400 grams mixed fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries)

• 40 grams dark chocolate (85% cocoa or higher)

• 200 grams Greek or coconut yoghurt (optional)

• 2 tablespoons flaked almonds or chopped pistachios

• 1 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, to garnish

• 1 teaspoons orange zest (optional)

• 1 teaspoons raw honey or maple syrup (optional)

  
  

Method

1. Toast the nuts: Toast 2 tablespoons flaked almonds or chopped pistachios in a dry pan over a medium heat until golden and fragrant. Tip out to cool.

2. Build the base: If using, spoon 200 grams Greek or coconut yoghurt (optional) into the base of four bowls or glasses. Pile 400 grams mixed fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries) on top.

3. Shave the chocolate: Using a fine grater or a vegetable peeler, shave 40 grams dark chocolate (85% cocoa or higher) generously over the berries.

4. Finish and serve: Scatter over the toasted 2 tablespoons flaked almonds or chopped pistachios, the 1 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, to garnish and a little 1 teaspoons orange zest (optional) if you like. Add the smallest drizzle of 1 teaspoons raw honey or maple syrup (optional) only if the berries need it.

Notes

The trick to keeping this kind enough on your blood sugar is the pairing. Serving the berries over yoghurt, with the fat from the dark chocolate and nuts, slows the release of natural sugars so you get the sweetness without the spike. Choose chocolate that is 85 per cent cocoa or higher, as it is lower in sugar and richer in polyphenols.

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