Emerald Honeydew Kiwi Mint Smoothie Cooler with Whipped Cream Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Gather everything before you start cutting. Chill the honeydew, kiwi and heavy cream for at least 30 minutes so the finished drink stays cold and the whipped cream holds its shape. Place the cutting board, chef's knife, fine grater and blender jar on the counter, and have two tall glasses ready.

Rinse the mint under cold water, shake it dry and set the sprigs aside on a towel. Keep the white chocolate in the refrigerator until the moment you grate it, since a cold block produces fine, curly shavings rather than a soft smear. Set a cold mixing bowl and the whisk or beaters in the freezer for ten minutes, then have the piping bag and star tip ready beside the glasses.

Instructions

Prepare the fruit and chocolate

1. 1Prepare the fruit and mint
   Halve the honeydew melon, scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into cubes. Peel the kiwi fruit and slice it into rounds, keeping a few of the prettiest rounds aside. Rinse the mint and set the sprigs alongside the fruit.
   Look for Honeydew cubes are even and the kiwi rounds are bright green with no dark spots.
   Tip Chill the honeydew for 30 minutes before blending for a colder, thicker smoothie.
2. 2Grate the white chocolate
   Hold a block of pale cream or white chocolate against a fine stainless steel grater and grate it over the board. The shavings should be soft and curly, so they melt quickly into the blend.
   Look for Fine curly shavings fall onto the board and no large chunks remain.
   Tip Keep the chocolate cold until you grate it so it does not smear on the grater.

The honeydew is cut into even cubes, the kiwi is sliced into clean rounds and the white chocolate has been grated into soft, fine shavings. The mint sits fresh and dry beside the fruit, with no bruised or wilted leaves. Check that you have set aside a few of the best kiwi rounds for the glass wall before you move on. The board should look tidy, with the shavings separated from the fruit so nothing gets lost when you transfer the ingredients to the blender. Everything should be cold and ready, so the next phase can move quickly without the blend warming up.

Blend and whip the cream

3. 3Blend the smoothie
   Add the honeydew cubes, most of the kiwi rounds, the mint leaves and the grated white chocolate to the blender jar. Blend on high until completely smooth and pale green, scraping down the sides if needed.
   Look for The liquid is pale green, creamy and has no visible flecks of mint or fruit.
   Tip Add a splash of cold water only if the blend is too thick to move.
4. 4Whip the cream
   Whip the chilled heavy cream in a cold bowl until it holds soft peaks. Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a star tip so it is ready for the glass.
   Look for Soft peaks hold their shape briefly and then curl slightly at the tip.
   Tip A chilled bowl and cold cream whip faster and hold their shape longer.

Blend the honeydew, kiwi, mint and grated chocolate until the mixture is completely smooth and an even pale green, with no visible flecks of mint or pieces of fruit. The liquid should look creamy and pour slowly from the jar.

In a separate chilled bowl, the heavy cream should whip to soft peaks that hold a shape briefly and then curl at the tip. Check the texture of both before moving on: if the smoothie has any grit, blend it for another few seconds, and if the cream is too loose, keep whipping for a short time while watching closely so it does not turn grainy.

Line the glass and finish

5. 5Line the glass with kiwi
   Press the reserved kiwi rounds against the inside wall of each tall glass so they form a ring around the edge. Pour the smoothie carefully into the glasses so the kiwi stays in place.
   Look for Kiwi rounds sit flat against the glass wall and the smoothie is evenly poured.
   Tip Pour slowly down the side of the glass to keep the kiwi from floating away.
6. 6Pipe the cream and serve
   Pipe a generous swirl of whipped cream on top of each smoothie in a tall, ribboned peak. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve immediately while cold.
   Look for A tall, ribboned peak of cream stands above the rim of each glass.
   Tip Serve right away so the whipped cream keeps its height and shape.

The kiwi rounds sit flat against the inside wall of each tall glass in an even ring, and the smoothie fills the glasses without disturbing them. The top of each drink should look smooth and pale green. The piped cream should form a tall, ribboned peak that stands clearly above the rim, with a sprig of mint placed at the side for colour. Before serving, check that the cream holds its shape and that the glasses are cold to the touch. Serve immediately, while the cream keeps its height and the smoothie stays chilled and bright.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is blending the fruit before it has been chilled, which produces a warm, thin drink that separates quickly. Another is grating the white chocolate too coarsely: large pieces can leave small specks in the blend and take longer to disperse, so use the finest side of the grater and grate in short, steady strokes.

Overblending for too long can also warm the mixture and give it a foamy surface, so blend just until smooth. When piping the cream, do not press too hard or the peak will collapse; hold the bag steady and lift as you finish. Finally, do not pour the smoothie until the kiwi rounds are in place, because the drink will push them out of position.

How to tell it’s done

This drink has no cooking temperature to reach, so it is ready when the texture is right. The smoothie should be a uniform pale green, creamy and smooth, with no fruit pieces left visible when you hold the jar up to the light. It should pour easily but feel thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

The whipped cream should be set, moist and tender, holding a tall peak that stands upright without weeping or sliding down the sides. The kiwi rounds should stay flat against the glass wall. If the smoothie is too thick, add a tablespoon of cold water and blend briefly; if it is too thin, add a few more fruit cubes and blend again. Serve as soon as it is assembled, while the drink is cold.