EVERYBODY knows eating citrus fruit helps stave off winter colds thanks to their high vitamin C content and the presence of other vital vitamins and minerals.

But that's not their only health benefit.

Citrus fruit give your body a good dose of antioxidants, which help fight the damaging free radicals that cause signs of ageing.

They are also low in calories but packed full of energy to keep you going through the long winter months.

Just one Jaffa orange provides more than 100 per cent of your RDA of vitamin C. They also contain good levels of fibre, calcium, potassium and phytochemicals, which together with vitamin C have been linked to fighting a range of diseases including cancer, asthma, anaemia and heart disease.

So why not give your body a boost with these delicious Jaffa recipes?

Chocolate Marble Mousse with Caramelised Jaffa Oranges. Serves 4.

For the chocolate mousse:

300g chocolate, melted

800ml double cream, whipped

For the caramelised oranges:

8 tbsp butter

12 tbsp caster sugar

8 Jaffa oranges, peeled and segmented

To make the chocolate mousse, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Mix the two together to form a marble effect. Do not mix for too long. Put into a tall glass.

For the oranges, in a medium saucepan heat the butter and the sugar together to form a caramel. Add the oranges and continue to cook for two minutes. Place in a small glass dish and serve with the chocolate mousse.

Jaffa Orange & Butternut Soup. Serves 2

50g/2oz unsalted butter

800ml/28fl oz hot vegetable stock

4 Jaffa oranges, zested

2 Jaffa oranges, juiced

300g/11oz butternut squash, cubed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Single cream

In a medium saucepan bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.

In a separate frying pan, melt the butter, and then add the butternut squash and fry for a few minutes. Then add to the stock. Add the Jaffa orange juice and zest to the stock and bring back to simmer for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste. Blend to a puree in a liquidiser.

Makes 8-12. Oven: 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Jaffa Cookies

85g/3oz butter

85g/3oz granulated sugar

85g/3oz brown sugar

A few drops of vanilla essence

1 egg

170g/6oz self-raising flour, sifted

1 pinch salt

100g/4oz chocolate chips

100g/4oz Jaffa orange, peeled, de-pithed and cut into small pieces

Grease 2 baking trays. Cream the butter, sugars and vanilla essence together in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the egg.

Fold in the sifted flour and salt. Then fold in the chocolate chips and finally the Jaffa orange pieces.

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on the baking trays and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until just golden.

Cool on the trays for 3 minutes, then place on a wire rack to finish cooling.