Easy, Fresh Summer Desserts

By The Twirlit Team on June 15th, 2009

Summer has officially began and for me that means less time in front of a hot stove and more time spent preparing easy dishes featuring fresh, seasonal fruit as the star. Here are a few of my favorite light summer dessert recipes:

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Serves 4

4 large ripe peaches, sliced

All natural vanilla ice cream

Heat your grill. Lay peach slices face down on hot grill and grill for about three minutes per side. Place four slices in each bowl and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serve immediately.

Home-Style Blackberry Slump

Serves 6-8

1 stick butter or Earth Balance buttery spread

1 cup cane sugar

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup almond milk, soy milk or cow’s milk

1.5 tsp baking powder

2 cups fresh blackberries

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter/earth balance in a glass pie dish and set in the oven to melt while the oven preheats. Mix together the cane sugar, flour, milk, baking powder and salt in a bowl. When the butter has melted, remove from oven and mix with the sugar and flour mixture. Gently add the berries, stirring as little as you can so the berries don’t break up. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden. Serve with vanilla frozen yogurt on the side.

Berries and Cream

Serves 4

My personal favorite summer dessert

Assortment of fresh blueberries, raspberry and blackberries

1 pinch cream, COLD

about 2 tbsp sugar

Whip the cream by hand or in a KitchenAid with a dish towel covering the top of the mixer to prevent splatters. While you are whipping, add the sugar slowly. Whip until soft peaks form. Wash the berries and distribute them evenly between four bowls. Top each bowl with the whipped cream and serve.