Fruit Dessert

Supposedly dating back to Colonial America, this old-fashioned dessert passes the test of time. For a modern spin, try it with a cool glass of rice or hemp milk, and watch for the smiles.

This recipe is a tribute to my Southern grandmother Catherene, who taught me to bake starting at the tender age of three. Part of her family hailed from Georgia and the others from Kentucky. The peaches are for Georgia, and the bourbon is, of course, for Kentucky!

This is perhaps the simplest dessert in this cookbook, and it’s also one of the tastiest. It’s extremely low in fat and full of good-for-you fruit. I make it when they’re selling cut-up mangoes on the cheap at Trader Joe’s.

Buckles differ from crumbles and crisps in that the fruit is interwoven with cake batter, then topped with a crumb topping. This dessert is a favorite of my son Monte’s. He loves it for its funny-sounding name and its supreme yumminess. The top should have a buckled or crumpled appearance.

This super-quick no-cook soup is delicious enough to serve as a dessert.

When I thought about writing a cookbook, I didn’t want to create one like many of the ones I saw on the market already—books that had a bunch of made-up barbecue recipes for things like grilled peaches. Then I realized that I actually do grill peaches in the summertime when I want a little something sweet for dessert! You can read other people’s versions, but mine is the best. Tip: Make these when you’re already smoking something in the smoker, so it’s already hot and you can just lay them in there; don’t make it hard for yourself. If you are using wooden skewers, they must be soaked in water for at least 12 hours before using. If you have stainless steel or other metal skewers, soaking is not a concern.

I’m known for barbecue, not for baking. But there are times when I’m called on to produce a dessert, and I’ll tell you right now that there’s nothing easier to make than this apple crunch. It’s like apple pie without the hassle; you don’t even have to make a crust. If you’re really feeling desperate and in a big hurry, you can top the apples with half of the batter of a boxed cake mix; it’s good that way, too.

For some people in the South, dessert doesn’t count unless it’s one thing and one thing only: this one.

I can’t resist making this special tart for myself when my Duchess apple tree in Vermont is laden with the most flavorful apples I’ve ever tasted. I’ve never sprayed the tree, so, yes, there are what we call wormholes, but I peel around them or dig out the dark tunnels with the point of a knife. If you’re using a frozen portion of your own tart dough, remember to take it out in the morning and let it defrost at room temperature. If you’re making up a new batch, be sure to make extra to put away for a repeat performance.

Try to get good country apples—firm, juicy, and with a tart flavor. This version of a baked apple includes some indigenous Northeast Kingdom products.

I always remember my childhood summers in Vermont as a procession of summer puddings made with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or currants as they came along. This old-fashioned dessert couldn’t be simpler to put together, and you can do a single portion in a small cup mold. You can even make Summer Pudding in winter when you may have bought from the local street stand more berries imported from South America than you can eat up.

Crisps and crumbles—they are one and the same—were always a favorite in our family, and I miss having them on a regular basis. But I found it’s very easy to make just one portion in a small casserole dish (I use an onion-soup bowl).

Jell-O has gotten a bad rap, and we are not sure why. In fact, Jell-O happens to be one of the Queens’ favorite go-to treats, as it’s now available in low-calorie and sugar-free varieties, making it a wonderful vehicle for satisfying your sweet tooth without all the guilt. And, Jell-O is extremely versatile. With dozens of flavors available to choose from, you can always find a satisfying one. If you haven’t had Jell-O in a while, we invite you to try this recipe. It’s the perfect, cool treat for the summertime that’s both light and fruity. Besides, desserts that jiggle are fun!

We know that we wouldn’t be where we are today without the continued support and encouragement we receive from our customers. To thank them, we held a recipe contest for which the winner’s dish would be featured in our book. Cristiane Diehl (aka Chu Chu), that’s you! Take a bow. You deserve it. Your trifle is out of this world! (Well, at least out of this country—it’s from Brazil!)

Always a hit! Sandy’s version of peach cobbler starts with a layer of cakelike pastry: moist and delicious—never dry! It’s spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon to accentuate the warm flavor of the peaches and simply can’t be beat when accompanied by a scoop of ice cream. We recommend trying cinnamon ice cream for the ultimate flavor combination!

“Oh, my darling, oh, my darling”—you’ll be singing this sweet, sweet song until you bite into this, one of our favorite cakes. Then you’ll forget all about singing and focus your attention on the delicious citrus flavor mixed ever so delicately in a moist white cake. A cross between sweet oranges and Chinese mandarins, clementines add a touch of unexpected sweetness—and are what make the cake, in our opinion. Pun intended.

Shortcakes remind me of the ice cream socials we used to have in my small town when I was growing up. We always had strawberry shortcakes, but now I throw raspberries into my version to make them a little bit fancier and a lot more fun. I also make them free-form—by not using a biscuit cutter, I get cakes that look craggy and knobby, kind of like little toads. But they have a beautiful crumbly texture and act like sponges for the fruit juice without getting soggy. These are SOOOOO delicious that I can hoover a few of them in one sitting!

Anything with a crisp topping makes me a happy, happy girl. Crisps are homey and rustic and they make the most of whatever fruit is in season. When nectarines and blueberries are at the farmers’ market at the same time, this combo is totally amazing. Crisps also work beautifully as individual portions or as one nice big one. I like to serve mine with lots of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream . . . mmmmm.

It’s pronounced MACH-a-donia and you can use any kind of fruit you want here—whatever you have in the house, or what looks best at the farmers’ market. The fruits that I suggest in this recipe are ones that I love, but have fun coming up with your own signature mix. The key to this recipe is to keep it REALLY cold so it’s totally refreshing and palate cleansing.