Isn’t it lovely, promising dessert after dinner?
Whether you’re treating yourself, making your partner’s day, or just persuading the kids to finish their Brussels sprouts, putting a literal cherry on top of the meal rules. That’s why we like to think fruit, especially this time of year, as we emerge like bears from our caves into abundant green salads, fresher entrées, and plenty of fruit underfoot.
The marvelous thing about the following recipes is that they can even tempt the person for whom “chocolate or bust” is a life motto. (Chocolate plays a supporting role in these ridiculously simple banana bonbons.) Apple slices covered with peanut butter classify as a healthy snack, but add sprinkles, and they’re a treat. Fresh plums and Greek yogurt might conjure a breakfast parfait, but if you bake the plums first in a honey glaze and sprinkle them with pistachios, they become a dreamboat of a dessert.
Read on for ideas, and let your sweet tooth go into hyperdrive.
1. Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt
Have you thought about making your own frozen yogurt lately? With the right recipe, it puts ice cream to shame in terms of ease of preparation. Simply combine sweet-tart cherries, sweeteners, yogurt and salt in a food processor, blitz it, and get your ice cream maker in gear! That’s it; no careful cooking of eggs required.
2. Chocolate-Avocado Mousse
Tired: Spending ages carefully folding egg whites into a delicate chocolate mousse. Wired: Firing up your blender! This remarkable vegan recipe is luscious and rich as can be, and requires ten minutes of hands-on time. You read that correctly; just whip it up in a Vitamix or other super-strong blender. Avocado contributes its signature silky texture, maple syrup a delicate sweetness, and pistachios crunch. It’s just so good.
3. Maple-Glazed Peaches With Toasted Almonds
Georgians know there ain’t nothin’ like a peach to cure a sweet tooth. Especially one that’s taken a spin on a hot grill. The heat caramelizes and concentrates sweetness. This recipe features peaches slicked with olive oil, dusted with sugar, and topped with syrup, almonds and vanilla ice cream. It’s precisely the easy dessert you can toss on a cooling grill after you’ve pulled off your supper.
4. Roasted Spiced Black Plums
Bookmark this one (along with those peaches) for when stone fruit season blooms where you are. Fat plums nestle into a baking dish and can slide into the 400-degree oven in which you’re already cooking a chicken or a roast. All the plums need are a few star anise and a bit of brown sugar. They emerge insanely sweet, wonderfully aromatic, and pretty as a picture. Gild the lily by serving with ice cream or frozen yogurt.
5. Chocolate-Banana Bonbons With Toasted Almonds
Why chase down the ice cream truck when you can bring its flavors to your home without breaking a sweat? Chocolate-banana bonbons come encrusted with almonds, and are a delight. Simple slice the bananas, dunk them in melted semisweet chocolate, sprinkle with nuts, and freeze until set. (Kids go particularly bananas for these!)
6. Watermelon-Basil Granita
One of the most beautiful make-ahead desserts around, granita is a wonderfully light way to end a meal as the mercury rises. We couldn’t love this watermelon-lime number, which gets an unexpected bouquet of beautiful basil, more. That sugar-basil syrup? Double it, and drizzle it on vanilla ice cream or experiment with it in gin drinks if you’re a cocktail person. Talk about cooling.
7. Warm Plums With Honey & Greek Yogurt
Even the most frenzied dinner party or weeknight meal can end with a dessert this simple. We save it for nights when the oven is set to 425 already. The prep time is a snap, at 15 minutes; just cut up plums, spin them with brown sugar and vanilla, and dot with butter. Throw them in the oven for a mere five minutes; build a speedy parfait out of Greek yogurt and pistachios. We’d serve this with ice-cold rosé and a smile.
It’s summer. Keep it easy. Serve fruit desserts.