Take advantage of fresh, in-season produce to make healthy dessert recipes for your next barbecue, block party or casual summer dinner. These summer desserts are so satisfying that no one will notice that they’re lower in fat and calories.
Berry-Lemon Shortcake
12 servings
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons butter
Berry-Lemon Sauce
3 cups fresh raspberries, strawberries or blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
4 cups fresh raspberries, strawberries or blueberries
Directions
Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Line pan with waxed paper. Grease and flour the waxed paper; set pan aside.
In a small saucepan heat milk and butter until the butter melts.
In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder and lemon peel; set aside.
In a medium bowl beat eggs with an electric mixer on high-speed about 4 minutes or until thick. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture; beat on low to medium speed just until combined.
Add the heated milk/butter to the batter and beat until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack lined with waxed paper; carefully peel off top waxed paper and cool completely.
Make sauce: Place the 3 cups of berries in a medium bowl and mash the berries with a potato masher.
In a small saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and lemon peel. Add mashed berries. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Cool about 10 minutes. Stir in the 4 cups of berries. Makes about 3-1/2 cups.
Cut cake into 12 pieces. Split each cake piece in half horizontally. Place a cake bottom on an individual dessert plate. Spoon some sauce over the cake bottom. Cover with a cake top. Spoon sauce over the cake.
Chocolate Sauce with Fruit Kabobs
Be sure to use good quality chocolate for the sauce.
16 servings
Ingredients
Strawberry halves, pineapple, apple, kiwi fruit chunks and raspberries
3/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 ounces Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate baking bar, chopped into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate baking bar, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, vanilla and butter. Heat over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and coffee until completely melted and smooth. Keep warm or reheat just before serving.
Thread assorted fruit onto sixteen 6-inch wooden (bamboo) skewers.
To serve:
Place a few tablespoons of sauce on a serving plate and place a fruit skewer on top.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
One 8 ounce package low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan; set pan aside.
For the blueberry sauce:
In a small saucepan stir together the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in the blueberries and the orange juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the crust:
In a large mixing bowl stir together the 2 cups flour and the powdered sugar. Cut in the butter until fine crumbs form and mixture starts to cling together (mixture will still be crumbly). Pat mixture firmly into prepared pan and bake the crust for 20 minutes.
For the cake:
n a medium bowl beat cream cheese, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.
Pour over the hot baked crust, spreading evenly. Drop blueberry sauce in small mounds over the cheese layer. Use a thin metal spatula or table knife to marble the mixtures together.
Bake for 20 minutes more or until the center is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
Remove uncut bars from the pan by lifting the foil out of the pan. Cut into bars.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Sift powdered sugar over bars just before serving.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies
28 cookies
Ingredients
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt; stir with a whisk.
Place butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Add the egg yolks, espresso and vanilla to the butter; beat well. Add flour mixture and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in nuts.
Cover bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper; knead several times or until smooth and shiny. Shape dough into 28 (1-inch) balls.
Arrange balls 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press thumb deeply into the center of each cookie, leaving an indentation. Bake, 1 batch at a time for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon hazelnut-chocolate spread into center of each cookie.
Peach Custard Pie
10 servings
Ingredients
Crust
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup ice water, plus more as needed
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
Filling
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-fat milk
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (6 ounces)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups sliced fresh peeled peaches
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
To prepare the crust:
Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, sugar and salt and pulse a few times. Turn into a mixing bowl and cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add oil and stir with a fork to blend.
Mix 1/4 cup water, egg yolk and lemon juice (or vinegar) in a measuring cup. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add enough of the wet ingredients, stirring with a fork, until the dough clumps together. (Add a little more water if it seems too dry.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times. Form into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Position rack the in lower third of the oven; preheat to 400°F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
To prepare filling & assemble pie:
Combine sugar, milk, yogurt, eggs, flour, cornstarch, vanilla (or almond) extract and salt in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth.
Roll out the dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into the prepared pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper.
Trim the dough so it overhangs evenly by about 1 inch. Fold the edges under to make a plump edge; flute or crimp the edge with your fingers or a fork. Place on a baking sheet.
Arrange peaches on the crust and pour the filling on top (some peaches will float but this won’t affect the final results). Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle chopped pecans over the top. Cover the edges with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil) to help prevent over browning.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Return the pie to the oven and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 minutes to 1 hour more.
Let cool for 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or refrigerate until cold.