Desserts: With The Fruits Of Summer - fruity pies and cake - Brief Article

Ebony, April, 1999 by Charlotte Lyons

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

   Pastry for 1 10-inch pie crust
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups sliced, fresh or frozen peaches
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon butter or margarine,
   cut into small pieces
   Sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll pastry to fit a 9x9-inch baking dish. Combine sugar and flour. Gently mix peaches, sugar mixture, nutmeg and vanilla. Gently in blueberries and butter. Pour peach mixture into 9x9-inch baking dish. Cover with the crust that has slits cut into it; seal and flute. If desired, sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Yields 6 servings

Raspberry Lemon Buttermilk Pie

  Pastry for 1 9-inch pie
4 eggs
3/4  cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons melted butter or
  margarine
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 cup fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pastry. Line pie plate with pastry. Beat eggs; add sugar flour, butter lemon extract, rind and salt. Mix thoroughly; blend in buttermilk. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Spread all but 2 tablespoons of the raspberry jam on top of the pie. Arrange fresh raspberries over the jam in concentric circles. Over low heat, heat the remaining jam in small saucepan until warm. Drizzle melted jam on top raspberries with spoon.

Yields 1 pie

Brandied Strawberries With Cream

2 pints medium strawberries, hulled
  and cored
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Cointreau liqueur
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4  cup light brown sugar
3 ounces brandy or cognac

Beat heavy cream until slightly stiff. Stir Cointreau and powdered sugar into sour cream in small bowl and mix until smooth. Fold the two creams together. Cover and refrigerate. Strawberries should be drained on paper towels and placed in a bowl. Add sugar and brandy and gently stir into stawberries with rubber spatula. Let stand for one hour, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, place the strawberry mixture in wine glasses or individual dessert bowls. Pour on any remaining marinade. Stir the cream gently and spoon generously over berry mixture. If desired, garnish with mint leaves.

Yields 6 to 8 servings

Lemon Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons grated
  lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, butter and powdered sugar. Press evenly in bottom of ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches. Bake for 20 minutes. Beat remaining ingredients about 3 minutes on medium speed or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust. Bake about 25 minutes longer or just until no imprint remains when touched lightly in center; cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Yields 16 squares

Seven-Up Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4  cup Seven-Up soda
1 tablespoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition until light fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour alternately with Seven-Up. Blend in extracts. Pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake in 325-degree oven until wooden pick inserted into cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on rack.

Yields 1 cake

Strawberry Vanilla Cake

1 16-ounce package pound cake mix
1/2  teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 16-ounce container vanilla frosting

Prepare cake mix as directed on package, except add almond extract. Slice pound cake horizontally into three layers. Place one layer Cut side down on cake plate; spread layer with vanilla frosting. Arrange sliced strawberries over frosting. Top with middle layer; spread with vanilla and arrange with sliced strawberries on frosting. Top with remaining layer, cut side down. Frost cake with remaining frosting. If desired, garnish with additional strawberries.

Yields 1 cake

Easy Raspberry Ice

2 10-ounce packages frozen
  raspberries
1 cup heavy cream

Cut partially thawed raspberries into 2-inch pieces. Place in food processor with steel chopping blade. Process. While machine is running slowly, pour cream through feed tube. Continue processing until smooth. Pour raspberry mixture into shallow dish or ice trays and freeze for 45 to 60 minutes. Serve in dessert glasses. Garnish with mint.

Yields 4 servings