Isn’t it funny how we crave certain foods at certain times of the year? Summer menus tend to feature a lot of grilled food, fresh veggies, and yummy fruits. While we often feature grilled meats and sides at our backyard parties, we may forget that the fresh fruits of the summer can be the basis of some great desserts! Here’s a few summer desserts that will have your guests asking for more!
Best-Ever Smores
Summer and smores just seem to go together, right? This easy peasy recipe only requires three ingredients and is super simple! You can add caramel or freshly sliced berries to give the smore a little pizzazz.
Read More »4 marshmallows
4 pieces of chocolate
Break the graham crackers in half so that you have eight squares. Put one piece of chocolate on four of the graham squares. You can simplify this by using the microwave, or you can roast your marshmallow over a campfire. Either way, place the marshmallow on the chocolate, then top with the other graham cracker square. Enjoy!
There is an option for making smores in the air fryer; check the link above for the recipe! If you wish to add a slice of strawberry for some extra flavor, simply place it on top of the chocolate before adding the roasted marshmallow. Sprinkle some melted caramel over the smore, if desired.
Campfire Berry-Peach Cobbler
One of the greatest things about summer is heading out to the farmer’s market (or your own backyard!) for fresh fruits and veggies! This mouth-watering recipe uses fresh peaches as well as blackberries and raspberries. (Hint: If you want to change up the berries for a different flavor, go right ahead! You can use strawberries, or just blackberries – which really bring out the flavor of the peaches – or you can use the raspberries.) This recipe calls for cooking the dessert over a campfire in a cast iron skillet, but this can be adapted so that you can cook on a grill or in your own oven.
You’ll need the following for the filling:
3 cups sliced peaches (Note: You CAN use frozen peaches, but thaw and drain them first)
2 cups raspberries
1 cup blackberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon (hint: you can substitute the zest with 1/4 lemon juice)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (with a tad extra to sprinkle over the top)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (or one stick) of butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional: vanilla ice cream to top the cobbler when served
Stir together the filling ingredients in a large bowl, then spoon into the cast iron skillet (tip: spray your skillet with cooking spray for easy clean-up). In a separate bowl, whisk together the topping ingredients. Spoon the resulting mixture on top of the fruit filling. It will rise as it cooks. Sprinkle a dusting of granulated sugar over the top, if desired. Cover the skillet (covering with foil is acceptable). Let cook for about twenty minutes, until the fruit is bubbling.
Cakey Strawberry Cobbler
Cobbler desserts and summer time just seem to go together! If you’ve ever made a traditional peach cobbler, then kick it up a notch by swapping the peaches for freshly sliced strawberries. This is an easy-to-master recipe, and it takes little time to throw together (All in all, it takes ten minutes to stir together; baking time is about an hour). Fun fact: this is a great recipe for young or beginning cooks!
2 quarts fresh strawberries, halved (be sure to hull the seeds)
1 tablespoon lemon zest (juice works just as well)
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
vanilla ice cream for serving
Preheat your oven to 350. Combine the sliced strawberries, lemon juice, one-fourth of the sugar in a large bowl. Let rest for about fifteen minutes. Place the butter in a 13 x 9 baking dish; place the dish in the oven until the butter is fully melted. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar. Use a glass measuring cup to whisk the buttermilk and vanilla. Combine with the flour mixture. Pour this evenly over the melted butter in the baking dish. Scatter the strawberry mixture over the batter. Bake until the batter is slightly golden in the center and brown on the edges, or for approximately 45 minutes. Allow the cobbler to cool after removing from the over, and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Key Lime Pound Cake
One of the most popular desserts any time of the year is the simple pound cake! However, when you add the lime flavoring, you are instantly modifying the recipe for sweet summer time!
For the cake:
2 sticks of butter (one cup), softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lime zest
4 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325. Beat the butter and shortening with a whisk or a stand mixer until creamy. Slowly add the sugar. Add eggs one at a time; beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir together the salt, flour, and baking powder. Stir in vanilla, lime juice and the lime zest. Pour the resulting batter in a greased and floured bundt pan of at least 10 inches. Bake for one hour and fifteen minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for fifteen minutes.
While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze by whisking the juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together. Pour over the cooled cake. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cobbler
Ok, if you love chocolate like I do, the chocolate cobbler is a dessert you’ll enjoy year-round, but especially in the summer when you can add a dollop of ice cream over a warm cobbler! Some refer to this recipe as “chocolate pudding cake,” and you’ll need to follow recipe directions to the letter in order for the cobbler to come out correctly. It only takes one hour to completely prepare and cook this dessert that will have your mouth watering as soon as you take it out of the oven!
3/4 cup butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, divided
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups boiling water
vanilla ice cream to serve
Preheat your oven to 370. Place the butter in an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Place the dish in your oven and allow the butter to melt. While you’re waiting (approximately ten minutes), stir together the flour, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, and two tablespoons of the cocoa. Stir the milk and vanilla in a separate bowl. Now pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. Pour this evenly over the melted butter in the baking dish.
Stir together the remaining cocoa, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Sprinkle this evenly over the batter in the baking dish. It is important that you do NOT stir the dry ingredients in the batter! Now, pour the boiling water over the mixture. Again, do NOT stir this in. You’ll have a layer of batter, a layer of dry ingredients, and then you’ll evenly pour the boiling water over the dry ingredients. Do not stir.
Bake until the top is set and the edges are brown, approximately 30 minutes. Serve the warm cobbler with ice cream on top.
