Summer? Check. Fruit Desserts? Check!

Summer has well and truly arrived. Temperatures are hovering around the 100° mark, and yet our families insist on eating at least three times a day. Every. Single. Day.
Ingrates.

Our house goes through tons, literally tons of fruit each summer. My little darlings scarf down stone fruits and berries by the bushel. I’m not a huge fan of fruit, but I will admit that I like cooking with it. Below are three recipes that our family loves – I hope your family will, too!

Summer Fruit Galette

A galette is so easy, yet it looks so fancy. It’s “rustic” (ChefSpeak for “quick and messy”) and utterly delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed
• 1 pint raspberries, rinsed
• 1 pint blackberries, rinsed
• 3 peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup regular sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 recipe pie crust (you can use your favorite or do what I do – get the refrigerated pie crust that comes from the cheater biscuit isle in the grocery store!)
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and peaches with 1/3 cup sugar, the cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and salt.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Roll out the pie crust in a circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you’re using the prepared pie crust, roll it out a little more until it’s about 11 inches across. Add the fruit in the center of the pie crust and spread it out evenly, leaving about 2 to 3 inches of dough. Carefully fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, leaving the center uncovered, until the edges are wrapped around the fruit mix in a “rustic” manner. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the galette and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly and the dough is a lovely, deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least an hour before serving. This is wonderful with vanilla ice cream!

Cherry-Chocolate Ice Cream Pie

There are few flavor combinations I love more than cherries and chocolate. This delicious pie can be made a day or two ahead, so it’s an easy summer treat.

Ingredients

• 15 Oreo cookies
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup hot fudge sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• 4 cups cherries, halved, pits removed
• 4 cups good quality vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions

Pulse Oreos in a food processor to make crumbs. Add in melted butter and pulse to mix. Pour the mixture into an ungreased pie plate. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides and freeze for at least an hour. Spread ½ cup of the hot fudge sauce over the cookie crumbs, and freeze for another hour.

Combine the ice cream and the cherries and spread over the pie crust. Sprinkle the mini chocolate morsels over the top of the pie. Cover gently with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours, overnight preferred.

Fruit Pudding

Be warned! This is NOT an American pudding! This is a British pudding, and while it may sound a little weird, it’s utterly delicious. I’ve adapted this to what Americans have in their kitchen, as most of us don’t have a pudding basin.

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
• 1 pint raspberries, rinsed
• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed
• 4 large plums, peeled and diced
• 4 apricots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 loaf brioche bread, sliced into ½” slices and most of the crust removed

Directions

Combine the fruit with the sugar and salt in a large saucepan and heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved and the juices are just beginning to run. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Ladle about ½ cup of the fruit into the bottom of a high-sided soufflé dish and arrange several slices of bread. This is the top of the pudding, so don’t just chuck the bread in there. Add more fruit and juice to saturate the bread. Alternate fruit and juice with the bread until all have been used up. Pour any remaining juice over the whole mess. Cover with plastic wrap and put a plate that fits inside the edges of the soufflé dish over it. Weigh the plate down with a heavy can and refrigerate overnight. Remove the can after about 8 hours.

Unmold the pudding onto a serving dish and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. I’ve made individual summer puddings in lowball glasses – it’s a great do-ahead dessert for parties.