From Zero to Dessert in 2.3 Seconds

There's always time to make a fast dessert.

It’s more-or-less officially Spring here in The Old North State.  The days are longer (even if artificially so.  Thanks, Ben Franklin) and being outside is a High Priority.  At the same time, sometimes Dessert is Necessary, so what’s a hungry person to do?  Spend all day inside baking and making and miss out on some Serious Outdoor Time or stay outside forever and then starve from Lack of Dessert?  Friends, I am here to make sure that this is a choice that you do not have to make.  You heard me correctly–you can have your cake and eat it, too.  You can spend a ton of time outside and still have a great dessert.  You can thank me later.

Idea One

1. Butter some squishy white bread slices (or some brioche or something) on one side.  Cut into squares.
2. Put a few squares of bread, butter side down, in individual serving dishes.
3. Mix up some thawed frozen berries (fresh if you have them) w/some sugar and a pinch of salt.
4. Spoon some berries on the bread.  Make sure it’s good and juicy so it soaks into the bread.
5. Spoon on some lightly sweetened whipped cream.
6. Repeat the layering.
7. Let sit in the fridge until dessert time.

Idea Two

(the berry-cream part is officially called a “fool.”  Look, there’s some up in that picture up there)

1. Whip some cream to medium peaks.
2. Fold in your favorite crushed, sweetened berries or some jam.
3. Top some homemade or store bought angel food cake with some crushed berries.
4. Top the berries with some of the fruity whipped cream.

Idea Three

1. Macerate cut strawberries (or any kind of berry, really) in some mint simple syrup with a pinch of salt.
2. Serve berries over ice cream or cake or even by themselves.

Idea Four

1. Macerate mixed, sliced stone fruit in vanilla or almond simple syrup.
2. Serve in a dish with some lovely short bread cookies.

Idea Five

1. Spoon softened ice cream between cookies.  Smash together, smooth the edges, and freeze.  Ice cream sammich, anyone?

Idea Six

croquecamille suggests just a square or two of really good chocolate.  I like the way she thinks!  With some Rosa Regale or some nice ruby port, you are good to go!

Idea Seven

Drew, from How to Cook Like Your Grandmother blends a banana with some orange juice and a little milk and then tops the whole thing with whipped cream.  Tasty and healthy–yay, potassium!

Idea Eight

Chris, from Beyond Ramen macerates fruit in strong tea.  That opens up a world of possibilities.

Idea Nine

Adrienne, over at Gastroanthropology, simmers berries in apricot nectar and adds chopped apricots.  Once it’s cool, she folds it into whipped cream for her version of a fool.

Idea Ten

Aoife, The Daily Spud, is going to stew some apples and/or apricots with some cardamom and serve it with some yogurt.

Idea Eleven

Tracey, from Tangled Noodle, offers a minimalist approach of some chocolate, cookies (biscuits) and maybe some fresh fruit.

Idea Twelve

Jim, from The Wonderful Depository just made a bread pudding full of chocolate.  Maybe not a quickie dessert, but it is one you could make, leave in the fridge and then bake the next day.  Plus, it’s bread pudding, and that’s always a good thing.

Idea Thirteen

GroovyOldLady, from Groovy’s Ruminations says graham crackers with peanut butter and a glass of milk is a great, fast dessert.  One of my faves as a kid was butter frosting between graham crackers.

Idea Fourteen

Li blends frozen berries with yogurt to get the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.  Yum.

Idea Fifteen

Marc wandered over from [No Recipes] to say that he keeps his ice cream maker in the freezer so that he can have frozen yogurt in 20 minutes–yogurt+honey+fruit.  Nice.

I hope it’s lovely where you are.  If it’s not, it soon will be.  I seem to be suffering from a surfeit of optimism today, so I’m just going to go with it!

Related posts:

1. My Secret Holiday Dessert Weapon: Riesling Granita
2. Caramel: It's Not Just For Dessert Anymore.