Bringing New Life To Desserts With Fresh Produce

One of the best parts of summer is all the fresh produce. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables can turn any delicious dish into an edible work of art.

Fresh fruit has a tendency to turn up in breakfast meals and mid-day snacks. But, as any online culinary student knows, they can also be an amazing component to an eye-catching and delicious dessert.

Here are two ways to bring fresh fruit into the sweetest course of the day:

Fresh fruit and cream mini tarts

Adorning tiny cream tarts with slices of your favorite fruit or berry is a simple way to incorporate fresh produce into your meal. Your friends will be enamored with these colorful bite-sized desserts from Salad in a Jar.

First, make the crust. Combine flour, sugar, salt and sliced butter until crumbly. Mix egg yolk and heavy cream, and then add to the flour mixture. When completely combined, roll into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Divide the roll into 12 slices, roll each one out and form around silicone molds. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Now, work on the cream filling. Blend together milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks. Microwave for six minutes. Take out and whisk at minutes three, four and five. After the sixth minute, whisk in butter and vanilla.

Remove the crust from the freezer and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Fill each crust with the cream filling.

Rinse and slice your favorite fruits and berries, and top each tart with fresh fruit.

Kiwi-Pomegranate Angel Pies

Take one bite of these Kiwi-Pomegranate Angel Pies from Epicurious and you’ll be in heaven. Crisp meringue and sweet vanilla cream are the perfect complements for the juicy, tart fruit.

Start with the meringue. Beat egg whites until foamy, and then add cream of tartar and salt. Keep beating. Slowly add sugar, increasing the speed of the beaters until peaks form. Fold in more sugar gently.

Form 10 meringue rounds on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Make a three-inch depression in the center of each one. Dust with powdered sugar and bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 2.5 hours with the oven door propped slightly open.

When they are crisp, turn off the oven, but don’t touch the door; keep it propped and the meringues inside for another hour until they’re dry.

Now, work on the cream filling. Mix flour, sugar, salt and cornstarch, and then whisk in egg yolks.

Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan before adding sugar. Whisk half of this mixture in with the flour and egg mixture. Then, pour it back into the pan, bring to a boil and whisk constantly for two minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Force the cream through a medium mesh sieve, and then chill for two hours.

After two hours, whip heavy whipping cream until it forms peaks. Fold into the cream filling mixture. Cover and chill for another half hour.

Finally, drop a dollop of the cream mixture into each meringue shell. Add cut-up kiwi and pomegranate seeds to top. Or, choose a fresh fruit of your choice – raspberries and blueberries are delicious atop these angelic desserts.

Mascarpone brulee with fresh berries

Some sizzle can add excitement to a fresh fruit dessert, such as with this mascarpone brulee that calls for getting out your kitchen torch.

First, mix your favorite berries with orange juice and sugar. Keep in the refrigerator for at least two hours to let the juices meld.

Next, combine mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, sugar and vanilla. Spread the mixture onto shortcakes. Now, use your kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Finally, pour the berries over the brulee.