That's really pretty!

We usually just have cut fruit, with ice cream and cookies available for those who want them, though for a party there might be pie or a fruit tart. :) To me, Summer means cold and low on butterfat. :)

Then the lemon curd would be out!

That's beautiful!

We've been eating fresh peaches and blueberries. In the past couple months I've made zabaglione with berries and blueberry crisp. Have also made two batches of frozen lemon cream sandwiches for dh. I'm thinking about making a batch of ice cream for next week. Probably mocha latte.

Yes, very pretty. I'm so sick of the way everything is all chocolate, all the time these days.

I yearn for things like Howard Johnson's peach ice cream, which bore absolutely no resemblance to the hideous travesty that passes for commercial peach ice cream these days. Only available when peaches were in season, it had big chunks of fresh peach in a luscious peachy base. No fake flavoring or corn syrup or any of that stuff back then.

ETA CindyMac, make and enjoy some peach for me!

Oh, good ole HoJo's. Ice cream in a cold metal parfait glass....

I like to take advantage of peaches, plums, berries, and the rest of the summer fruits. Sometimes I grill them but my all-time favorite summer dessert is:

FRUIT WITH CANNOLI CREAM (4 servings)

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup sugar
tsp. orange zest
3 Tbs. orange juice
2 Tbs. mini chocolate chips
1 apple, cored and cut into 8 wedges
1 pear, cored and cut into 8 wedges
1 plum, pitted and cut into 8 wedges
1 pint strawberries, hulled
In a blender or food processor, combine the cheese, sugar, orange peel and orange juice and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in 1 Tbs. of the chocolate chips. Place the fruit on a platter and spoon the ricotta mixture over it. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, and serve. Note: You can also arrange the fruit in four large goblets or wine glasses and top each portion with some of the sauce and chips. Other fresh fruits can be substituted. Apricots, raspberries and blueberries are all good in this recipe.

Then the lemon curd would be out!

Yup! And the cream. We don't do the high butterfat or custard style ice creams either. :)

I have a gelato/ice cream freezer, but I'm more likely to make non-fat frozen yoghurt with bananas (for the sugar and body) and fruit that's starting to get squishy. Peach is my favorite, a lot like what Writersblock described. I love how a yellowish fleshed peach will turn the yoghurt that specific "peach" color, like the crayon. :) But first I have to find the tree ripened peaches. I don't do rocks.

The anti-butterfat is about the heat, btw. That's also something grilling gives you--less heavy fat. We just don't want it in the Summer.

Just fyi- DH and I enjoyed a slice and then he took it to work the next day. Some of his co-workers really enjoy the treats, and I get to practice my skills.

I really enjoyed honing making lemon curd, but that whole thing can't stay in our home.

that whole thing can't stay in our home.

It wouldn't stay long in mine, alas. :)

I love how a yellowish fleshed peach will turn the yoghurt that specific "peach" color, like the crayon. :) But first I have to find the tree ripened peaches. I don't do rocks.

Yes, I love that color, too. I swear the "fruit" in the Publix peach ice cream I tried a couple of years ago was orange dyed zucchini, not even icky canned peaches.

Ruthanna, your dessert sounds good. I'm wondering what I could use in place of the chocolate chips.

We like watermelon, thinly sliced onions and balsamic vinegar with some basil leaves. Very refreshing. Ooops, I guess it's really a salad. So ignore my comment as a dessert.

Also homemade fudgesicles!

Jasdip, you could omit them and still make a nice sauce but most cannoli in our area contain them in the filling so might not be identifiable as cannoli cream.

okey-dokey.

I tend to go pick my own berries in the back yard -- I have what I thought are wild raspberries but apparently they may be a blackberry/raspberry hybrid or something (according to some friends of mine who tell me my berries are producing in the "wrong" season or something...)

My favorite thing to do with them: rinse them off and eat them straight up! Dessert, appetizer, breakfast, whatever!

Okay, 1) I think fresh-made whipped cream would be great on them (no added sugars), and 2) if I only had Mom's berry cobbler recipe!!!! While she added sugar, it wasn't too much, and the whole thing came together supremely! The cobbler had a tasty crunch, and the berries melded in wonderfully.

Barring that, I guess my favorite dessert still remains quality ice cream... Once I retire (in less than a month!) I'll consider learning how to make it, without having to buy it.

most cannoli in our area contain them in the filling

Interesting. In my area grocery store bakery cannoli have them, but not cannoli from other places. I wonder if this is a regional thing?

My favorite summer dessert is Marion Burro's summer torte...with peaches, plums, berries of any kind apples, pears....whatever!
And since i am somewhat lactose intolerant, I usually add (gag!) cool whip....I know but....?

Your dessert looks terrific mimipadv. Our neighbours lemon tree is loaded and she kindly lets me pick plenty so lemon curd gets made here.

I also choose fresh fruit desserts over chocolate ones. And pie over cakes.

DH & I have July birthdays 4 days apart. His is first and he always gets a special chocolate cake, so people get their fix and aren't disappointed that I always bake a fruit pie for my BD.

Ruthann -- that's one of our favorite desserts as well! And you can use different fruits. I first found it when I had a lunch as a Gaida event -- it was from the cookbook that we were given as part of that event. And I've been making it ever since!

That's gorgeous, Martha!

Our tradition on the 4th of July is Apple pie. Our Anna apple tree ripens in June, and I have tons of apples. My grandson insists on Nana's Apple Pie. We sit on the big deck with coffee and apple pie / ice cream and watch the fireworks in the city below. Nice view up here. We get to watch the Casino Fireworks and the City Fireworks. Really good show! Neighbors join us. So Apple Pie is a summer dessert for us.

Pavlova with whipped cream. strawberries and sliced Kiwifruit is the big summer dessert here, as well as gelatin set cheesecake.

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b

Our tradition on the 4th of July is Apple pie.

*****

Oh, Suzi, that sounds so wonderful. We have plans to see the fireworks in DC, but we might get stormed out! I really hope not.

Pavlova is something on my short list to make, and berry season is perfect for it.

colleenoz can you post your Pavlova recipe? We had a marvelous one on a boat in Doubtful Sound I've been trying to copy

Jasdip can you please post your fudgesicle recipe?

I,ve always preferred my cannoli without chocolate chips, so I'll just skip them. Around here they come with chips, ground pistachio, or plain.

We tend to cut up whatever fruit is ripe in the house and either eat it sugared with bananas or over a biscuit with whipped cream. Less fuss the better.

Beautiful apple pie Suzi. I made a rhubarb pie today, using the last of the rhubarb.

Coconut here is the Fudgesicle recipe:

2 tsp cornstarch

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/3 cups cream (I use half-and-half)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, whisk cornstarch with 2 tbsp of the milk until smooth. Whisk in remaining milk, cream, sugar and cocoa.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, watching carefully, so it doesn't boil over. Cook 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into 8 popsicle molds. Freeze several hours.

Fresh fruit by the handful for the most part... but for special occasions.....

Strawberry shortcake with biscuits NOT angelfood cake.

Strawberry rhubarb pie

Another one for Pavlova - chocolate meringue with raspberries, bittersweet chocolate shavings and real unsweetened whipped cream. I like the contrast with the sheer sugariness of meringue otherwise I find Pavlova too sweet.

Sorbets, granitas and ice creams...

Thanks Jasdip, I knew you'd have a good one. Looks perfect! I think I'll use that as a guide to try vanilla popsicles too. I've been craving them both and can buy fudgesicle, the vanilla, not so much. Of course I would rather make both.

Agmiss, I agree, always biscuits for shortcake! And I like unsweetened whipped cream for very sweet desserts such as pecan pie.

Coconut, I had some popsicle recipes delivered to my inbox today. Here's one by Jeff Bayless, the chef/celebrity who features Mexican food. It intrigues me.

Coconut-Lime Ice Pops

2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

finely grated zest of 1 lime

In a blender, puree the coconut milk with the sugar, lime juice and zest. Pour through a fine strainer into a large measuring cup and then pour into 10 to 12 ice-pop molds. Freeze until set, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.

That does look good. Most recipes I've found use ground or shredded coconut and as much as I love coconut, the pieces in pops don't do it for me.

Suzyqtexas, here's my pavlova recipe:

Note: I usually bake mine on a greased and foil lined (and grease the foil) flat tray but you can also bake it in a greased 8" springform pan.

Put the oven on to preheat to 450F.

6 egg whites

2 cups superfine sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in sugar at high speed until you have a very stiff glossy meringue. Quickly fold in the vinegar and vanilla.

Pile onto the baking sheet in about an 8" circle and make a slight depression in the top. Place into oven, turn to lowest temperature and bake about half an hour or until it just starts to colour then turn the oven off and leave the pavlova in there until the oven is cold.

Top with one cup of heavy cream, whipped, and fruit.

Maybe I shouldn't admit this but my go-to recipe is the summer torte posted here many years ago. People rave about it and I hate to tell them how easy it is!

I just keep making it and accepting praise. :)

Another vote for the Summer Torte. Easy, any fruit you like, and always disappears at a gathering.

I took another look at the NYTimes recipe and one of the comments was to increase the butter to 1 1/2 sticks, 2 heaping tablespoons of sour cream and a teaspoon of vanilla. Since I had about 15 apricots to use up, I tried it this morning. Wow!

LindaC: If dairy is a no-no and you are using cool-whip, try freezing it and scooping out. Nice sub for ice cream!

I remember that Summer Torte. I think I made it with peaches and a combo of peaches and raspberries.

Ok, now I need the recipe for this summer torte. Would anyone happen to have it? :)

Oldhouse, here's the original thread, including the recipe.

Summer Torte

Oh, Thank you CindyMac :) That was one popular recipe when it was posted. Looking forward to making it. So easy!

Peppi...I do freeze the cool whip....but it's still not ice cream!

lindac92 have you tried Coconut Bliss? It's a good sub for ice cream. It's organic, dairy free, gluten free and vegan.

Coconut Bliss