SUMMER DESSERTS BY: ANTHONY DEDIEGO
Leading up to summer we all watch what we eat, striving for that that perfect summer body. Then summer hits and we are showered with amazing produce that is just too good not to eat. So good even, that we forget all about those summer bodies and start looking for ways to use these beautiful fruits to create some amazing desserts. I have complied for you some of my favorite summer recipes that will give you all the warm summer feels that we all deserve after doing without for months. I also made sure I added a decadent chocolate option for those who have missed the decadence of creamy desserts that usually only come out during the holidays.
This recipe came from an idea to make a white chocolate version of brownies. I simply replaced the chocolate in my brownie recipe with white chocolate and was absolutely blown away by the results. Since I am always looking to create flavor profiles and elevate ingredients as much as possible, I knew I could really take these to the next level. Blueberry and white chocolate pair together fantastically and adding a crunchy streusel layer to these really brought the whole dessert home. These white chocolate blueberry bars are so delicious and impressive but are surprisingly easy and quick to make, which is exactly why they are one of my favorite recipes to make. Something I discovered when writing this recipe is that even though you sprinkle the streusel on top before baking these, as they bake, the batter rises around the streusel and once you cut them, you see that the streusel ends up towards the bottom and creates a sort of crust. I loved this and decided to call these Blueberry Magic Bars for that reason.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Bake/Cool Time: 2 Hr Total Time: 1 Hr 30 Minutes Yield: 12 Bars 1 ¼ Cup (250g) Granulated Sugar 10 Tbs (141g) Unsalted Butter 6 Oz (170g) White Chocolate, Chopped 3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature 1 Tsp (4g) Vanilla Extract ½ Tsp (2g) Salt 1 Cup (120g) All Purpose Flour 3/4 Tsp (1g) Baking Powder ½ Cup (70g) White Chocolate Chips 3/4 Cup (155g) Fresh Blueberries For the Streusel: 1 Cup (200g) Brown Sugar ½ Cup (113g) Softened Unsalted Butter ¼ Tsp (1g) Salt ¼ Tsp Ground Cinnamon 3/4 Cup (90g) All Purpose Flour
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F (180C) and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then line the dish with parchment and spray the parchment as well. 2. Make the streusel by combining the brown sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl with a hand mixer or whisk until well mixed, then add the flour and mix until combined. Set aside. 3. For the batter, put the butter and white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each one, until they are melted. Once melted, stir to combined and set aside to start cooling. 4. In a separate large bowl, add the sugar and pour in the melted butter and white chocolate and use a whisk to combine them, then add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. 5. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate small bowl and add the mixture to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. 6. Pour the blueberries and white chocolate chips into a bowl and put 1Tbs of flour on them and toss them to coat. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the batter. Once coated in the flour, pour them into the batter and gently fold them in with a rubber spatula. 7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle the streusel on the top and bake for 50-55 minutes or until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out relatively clean. 8. Once the bars are done baking, allow to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting to allow them to set up all the way.
Since apple pie is such a timeless classic, I thought it would be a fun idea to make little single portion sized pies! These are perfect for friends, family or even parties because the recipe can be multiplied easily. I love this pie crust recipe because it gives you simple and perfect pie crust every time! You can get creative with it and make these pies any shape or size your heart desires, making them perfect as an activity to get the kids involved with!
Prep Time:20 Minutes Bake Time: 30 Minutes Inactive Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 1 Hr 45 Minutes Yield: 4 Small Pies Ingredients: For the Crust: ½ Cup (1 Stick, 113g) Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes 1 ½ Cups (195g) All Purpose Flour ¼ Tsp (1g) Salt 5-6 Tbs Ice Water For the Filling: 1 Fuji Apple, Peeled, Cored and Finely Chopped 1 Tsp (3g) Orange Zest 2 Tbs (26g) Brown Sugar 1/2 Tsp (1g) Ground Cinnamon 1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg 1/4 Tsp Ground Allspice 1/8 Tsp Salt 1 Tbs (5g) Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice 1 Tbs (7g) All Purpose Flour 1 Tbs (14g) Melted Unsalted Butter
Directions: 1. To make the crust, add the flour, butter and salt to a food processor or blender and pulse until the butter is the size of peas, then add the ice water. Pulse again until the dough comes together. If the dough seems too dry or doesn’t come together, add another tbs of water. 2. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and collect it into a disk, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F (190C) and line a sheet with parchment paper. 4. In a bowl, add the apple, orange zest, brown sugar, spices, salt, orange juice, flour and butter and mix until well combined and the apples are coated. 5. After the dough has chilled, put it on a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle with the dough being 1/8” thick. Cut the dough into 8 even sized squares. 6. Put ¼ Cup of pie filling in the center of half of the squares of dough, leaving a small border around each one. Brush that border with egg wash, which is simply one egg mixed with 1 tbs water. 7. Place the other halves of the dough on top of the ones with the pie filling on them and press the edges together, then use a fork to crimp or push the edges together. Brush the entire top surfaces with more egg wash, sprinkle some sugar over them and cut a couple small slits in the top of each pie. 8. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the pie crust is light golden brown.
Cookies and cream is a classic flavor so many of us love. As I mention in my other no bake cheesecake recipes, I love no bake cheesecakes because of how smooth and creamy they come out. Baked cheesecakes tend to have a denser texture I’ve never been too fond of. This cookies and cream no bake cheesecake is an ultimate treat! Something I love doing when I am trying to showcase a flavor is use it as many wasy as possible in the dessert. This cheesecake has an Oreo crust, then an Oreo cheesecake filling with a couple of whole Oreo layers in the middle, then some crushed cookies on top with a little bit of whipped cream. This is a definite crowd pleaser!
Prep time: 25 Minutes Inactive time: 5 Hours Total time: 5 ½ Hours This cheesecake serves 8-10 people Ingredients: For the Crust: 2 ½ Cups Crushed Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (24 cookies, 268g worth) ½ Cup (113g) Melted Unsalted Butter ¼ Tsp Salt For the Filling: 1 Cup (237mL) Cold Heavy Cream 24oz (678g) Softened Cream Cheese 2/3 Cup (115g) Granulated Sugar ½ Tsp Salt 1 Tbs (13g) Vanilla Extract 1 Cup Crushed Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (10 Cookies, 107g) Around 30 Additional Whole Chocolate Sandwich Cookies For the Whipped Cream ½ Cup Cold Heavy Cream 1 Tbs Granulated Sugar 1 Tsp (4g) Vanilla Extract
Directions: 1. Start by making the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F (180C). Add the crushed cookies, melted butter and salt to a bowl and mix until combined. Pour the crust into a 9-inch springform pan and press it evenly into the bottom, then bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely after it’s baked. 2. Pour the cold cream into a bowl and use a whisk or hand mixer to whip the cream for a couple minutes until stiff peaks form, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. 3. Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer for a few minutes until smooth, then add the sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix for another minute until very smooth. 4. Add in the crushed cookies and use a rubber spatula to fold them into the filling. Pour the whipped cream into the bowl and gently fold until the mixture comes together and is light. 5. Pour 1/3 of the filling into the pan with the cooled crust, then place whole cookies around the filling, then repeat one more time with another third of the filling and another layer of cookies, then pour the last third of filling on top, smooth it out, cover with plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 4 hours. 6. Once the cheesecake is chilled, make the whipped cream by adding the cream, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl and using a whisk or hand mixer to beat the cream until stiff peaks form. You can either pipe or spread the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake and sprinkle some more crushed cookies on top.