How about a couple of Jo's summer Tortes? Super easy, you cold use up some of your fruit, will travel well and delicious!

Summer Torte
by Marion Burros

1 stick butter, softened (I always use unsalted)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour; sifted
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
pinch of salt
fruit of choice; sliced into wedges (I used about 7 plums. Peaches, nectarines,strawberries all work great and in combination)
cinnamon sugar for top

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and add sugar. Beat well. Add eggs and beat. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to batter. Mix. Spoon globs to greased 9 or 10 inch springform. Use a knife to spread batter to cover entire pan. Arrange fruit on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (amount depends on the sweetness of the fruit).
Bake for 45 min.

Posted by Jojoco 7/09

Or Marilyn's Lemon Brownies....YUM!

Lemon Brownies

1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1-1/2 cup sugar
Zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter; room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 eggs
Additional lemon zest for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottom only of a 9X13X2-inch baking dish with Parchment paper and spray with Pam. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt; add butter. Stir together eggs, juice from ½ lemon and zest from 1 lemon; stir into batter and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. When brownies are cool prepare glaze by stirring together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon lemon juice; drizzle over brownies and sprinkle with additional lemon zest.

Hope all is well with you, Stacie!

Linda

Can't help with using up what you have on hand, but I would suggest some sort of bar, either lemon, pecan, shortbread with preserves, etc. They travel well, and are perfect for a "dessert bar". Since you'll be having a variety of desserts from different family members, I suggest cutting them small. If you are using a 9x13 pan, cut them 6x6 - this will give you a piece approx 1.5 x 2 inches - just enough for a taste.

I'll post recipes if you need them.

Oly

Thanks for the Recipes Linda, things are going good around here. They are busy with the kids but the last year has been a good one. Not a lot of time to be on the net:) but have been lurking around for while.

Stacie

Stacie - I am glad to hear things are going well for all of you, I know you had a bit of a bumpy ride. I had to make a dessert for a Swimmers Dessert meeting and it sat for a couple of hours (air conditioned room) before serving and it was fine. Assuming you will be in an air conditioned car, it should be fine to transport.

Chocolate Nanner Pudding:

4 boxes instant chocolate pudding, prepared according to directions.
1 box Nilla Wafers
4-5 bananas

In a 9 x 13 dish, place half the Nilla Wafers and half the bananas, sliced thin. Layer on half the chocolate pudding. Repeat. Optional - top with Cool Whip when you serve it.

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This is a great dip mixture to serve with fresh fruit of any sort.

1 package vanilla instant pudding & pie filling
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 8 oz carton Cool Whip

Recipe

Mix vanilla pudding and buttermilk for 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.

If you want to do a cookie recipe this one from Marlen has always been a hit with my group. I need to put them on the list it's been too long. I joked with Marlen way back when that the kids renamed them Fat Daddy Cookies. LOL

Marlen's Chubby Hubby Cookies

December 13, 2006

Makes: about 4 dozen
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 ounce package peanut butter chips
1 cup salted peanuts
2 cups crushed pretzels (see note)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Blend into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips, peanuts and pretzels.

Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-13 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool one minute on baking sheet. Cool completely on wire racks. Store tightly in covered container.

From Nancy Nahas, White Lake and adapted from http//ths.gardenweb.com

Cook's note: The pretzels should be about the size of the chocolate chips, not pulverized. You want to taste bits of pretzel as you munch. This is a crunchy cookie. I use a food processor and just pulse until the desired size is achieved.

Mini meringue nests then you can fill them with your fruit.

Stacie,
I don't have a recipe to add, but just wanted to say, when it comes to dessert, trust Oly. Hers are divine. Perfect crumb, not too sweet, not too gooey, just right. If she doesn't ask, I will!

Oly, would you please post your recipe for shortbread with preserves? It's nearly fig season, and I'm thinking your shortbread recipe might just be the ticket to work with fig butter or fig jam. (unless of course you have any particular fig dessert recipe?!)

Ann

Hi Ann,
Thanks for the kind words!!

I don't have a recipe that just uses figs, and I've never made the shortbread bars with them, but it sounds like a good combo. Let me know how it turns out!!

Here's the Shortbread Bar recipe

Base crust
2 ½ cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
½ lb (1 cup) cold butter, cut in ½ inch cubes

Filling
1 lb (16oz) jam or preserves of your choice

Topping
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
½ lb (1 cup) cold butter, cut in ½ inch cubes

In a food processor, combine base ingredients and process until it starts to come together. (It will still be crumbly) Press mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread the jam/preserves of you choice onto base. Do not spread the jam to edge of crust, leave a ½ inch border of crust showing.

Combine topping ingredients in food processor until small clumps form. Scatter topping to cover.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Note: I like to bake the pan on the bottom rack of the oven for the first 20 minutes, then switch the pan to the top rack until the topping is light brown.

Oly

Thanks, Oly.
I've got a couple of weeks I think until the figs are ripe. I think this should be really good with the fig jam. Will report back.
Ann

This is an easy peasy little banana cake that travels well (no frosting). In fact, I think I might bring it to a dinner invite this weekend myself!

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

3 ripe bananas, peeled
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (can use 3/4 cup)

Mash bananas, add melted butter and sugar and eggs and yogurt. Mix flour and baking soda/powder together. Mix dry and wet ingredients together. Spoon into 9x4x3 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees on middle rack for 1 hour or until middle is done. Cool for one hour before cutting.