Summer Desserts Showcase Berries

This is the best time of year for fruit lovers. Berries are still available in abundance, and stone fruits such as cherries, plums and peaches are coming into season.

There are lots of ways to showcase these sweet treats, but desserts such as crisps and cobblers have always been one of my favorites. There’s something about cooking the fruit and adding a crumbly or cakey topping that really adds to their flavor.

Here’s a quick guide to desserts designed to show off the best of summer fruits:

Cobbler: A blend of fruits topped with sweet biscuits and baked. Peaches are my favorite fruit for cobbler, and Raspberry-Peach Cobbler showcases them beautifully. Lemon is a nice addition to both the biscuits and the fruit. (This recipe is based on a Peach-Blueberry Cobbler from Martha Stewart Living that is absolutely amazing. There's a whole vanilla bean in the biscuits - need I say more?)

Buckle: Coffee cake-like dessert with fruit stirred into the batter before baking. My dad used to make a blueberry buckle for breakfast on Sundays.

Grunt: An unflattering name for a delicious concept. Cook fruit until it’s soupy, then add sweet dumpling batter and steam until the dumplings are cooked.

Crisp or crumble: Fruit gets a crunchy topping made with flour, brown sugar, butter, and sometimes oats and nuts. Typically these desserts feature a mix of berries, but cherries make a delicious crisp as well (check out my recipe for Cherry-Almond Crisp on The Local Dish). Serve them with vanilla ice cream for a double dose of summer goodness.

My friend Virginia Jasmer, who makes some of the best berry desserts I’ve ever had, often uses cut-up Italian prunes in her crisps. Berry-Plum Crisp provides a list of basic ingredients, but feel free to experiment with different combinations of berries to find your favorite.

Virginia also recommends mixing up a big batch of the topping and freezing it in smaller portions. When you’re in the mood for a quick dessert, you can pull the topping out of the freezer and add it to whatever fruits are on hand.

Frozen fruit will work for all these dishes, so consider freezing fruits now, while they’re at the peak of freshness. Once winter weather sets in and you’re desperate for a taste of summer, you’ll be glad you did.

Raspberry-Peach Cobbler
Makes 8 servings
Filling:
4 c. peaches, peeled and sliced
2 c. raspberries
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 T. cornstarch
Zest from 1/2 lemon
Pinch salt
Topping:
2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Zest from 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. butter, cut into cubes
1 c. milk

To make filling, place peaches, raspberries and lemon juice in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine sugars, cornstarch, zest and salt. Toss sugar mixture with fruit. Transfer to a 9” x 13” pan.

To make topping, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and zest in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and stir just until moistened.

Preheat oven to 375. Drop biscuit mixture over the fruit by the spoonful until fruit is mostly covered. Sprinkle dough with additional sugar. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove to a wire rack and let cool at least one hour before serving.

Berry-Plum Crisp
Makes about 6 servings
Filling:
1-1/2 c. mixed berries (such as blueberries and blackberries)
1-1/2 c. chopped Italian prunes
1/4 c. sugar
Topping:
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
6 T. butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, toss fruit with sugar. Pour fruit into an oven-safe dish.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter with a fork until crumbly. Stir in walnuts.

Sprinkle topping over fruit and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until topping has browned and fruit is bubbly.