Berry Tempting

Fresh berries and flaky puff pastry are always a winning combination. To keep up with our berry tempting recipe series, I made mini blueberry-vanilla cream cheese pies that are simple and delicious. I was a little zealous while filling them and clearly overdid it — thus, my pies popped open during baking. Regardless, they were still mighty tasty!

This recipe is a great staple to have on hand when you want to impress guests with pastries. Feel free to substitute another berry or flavor the cream cheese mixture with citrus zest or a different extract. My next round will be raspberries with a lemony cream cheese. Get started on your own pocket pies by reading more.

When I said my new favorite basic is blueberry sauce, I was definitely not kidding. In addition to using the 15-minute compote in a lavender-vodka martini, I also took the liberty of making French toast on skewers for weekend brunch, and using the sauce in lieu of maple syrup.

I love this dish because it's fun to make and fun to eat, for kids and adults alike. Who can resist bite-sized blocks of breakfasty goodness, lovingly browned to perfection on all six sides? The answer is nobody, especially when it's laced together with wholesome blueberries, raspberries, and bananas, topped with a sprinkle of sugar, and drizzled with the incredible berry compote. For a fun weekend provision to make with the whole fam, read on.

Blueberry season is in full swing, and I love finding new ways to appreciate the fruit. But before long, these blue beauts will have come and gone, too — so I always try to preserve Summer's bounty now for later down the line. For Summer veggies, it's quick pickling; for berries, I love a basic syrup or sauce.

This blueberry compote has become a fast favorite. It takes less than 15 minutes to make, and livens up everything from pancakes and waffles to ice cream. I used it in an original vodka cocktail and even stirred some in to basic bread pudding! Or, like I did with caramel sauce, bottle it in a pretty container and give it away as an edible gift. For the recipe, read on.

The hot months are finally here, so it's the perfect time to pull out those popsicle molds and get to work freezing a refreshing Summer treat. This three-layered popsicle recipe combines watermelon, lemon, and blueberry ices to create a pop that is both sweet and tart. Although the recipe says to strain the pureed fruit mixtures, I wanted a little texture and left them unstrained. The layering process definitely takes time, but the final product is well worth it. To cool off this July, keep reading for the recipe.

Before last weekend, I was in the majority when it comes to pie: I preferred cherry pie over blueberry pie. I think it was because I had never really enjoyed homemade blueberry pie. Naturally, I had to remedy the situation by making it from scratch. I'm so glad that I did: this was my best pie yet! The filling was thick, juicy, and not overly sweet. The dough was buttery, flaky, and crisp. The awesome thing is I only experienced moderate difficulties when rolling the dough out. Thus, baking this pie has made me a more confident home cook. Want to see the recipe I used? It's after the break.

I've been in Houston, TX, for the past several days, where July weather is unbearably hot and humid. In my search for a cool, refreshing Summer treat that wasn't too complicated to prepare in my parents' humble kitchen, I stumbled across a recipe for fresh blueberry gelatin cups.

In a modern dessert world full of Earl Grey panna cottas and lemon verbena granités, a berry-and-grape gelée makes a bold pronouncement with its simplicity. The finished chilled dessert was certainly greater than the sum of its parts — smooth, cool, and just sweet enough. To make it, read on.

A delicious and balanced cocktail doesn't need a lot of fancy ingredients. Take this recipe, for example, from San Francisco's Erick Castro. It involves gin, lemon juice, mint, and muddled berries. It's simple but absolutely sublime. In each sip you can taste the distinct ingredients. Even if you aren't normally a gin drinker, you'll enjoy this beverage. My guests loved it. Be sure to cheers to the Fourth! To make this for your friends and family, you'll need the recipe.

This Summer we are celebrating the season's bounty of berries. During the entire month of May we experimented with strawberries. June was devoted to both sweet and savory preparations of cherries, and now that it's July 1, we are moving on to plump, antioxidant-rich blueberries.

To kick things off, we have a quintessential Fourth of July dessert: flag cake. Since there's no set recipe for the interior of flag cake, I modeled mine off of a recipe I found in Every Day With Rachael Ray. It's a dense vanilla-blueberry cake with lemon cream cheese filling and whipped marshmallowy frosting. The resulting dessert is absolutely amazing.

Make it the night before you serve it, because the cake tastes even better the next day. Decorate the top before serving to look like a flag with blueberries and raspberries. Don't worry if the flag design ends up being a little crooked like mine was, it's OK for the cake to look homemade. It's the flavor that matters, and this cake is fruity, creamy, and just plain wonderful! Here's how I made it.

For most of the year, I avoid wearing the color red. It simply doesn't look great with my coloring. However, around the Fourth of July is when I make an exception, I like to wear red, white, and blue — just as I like to cook dishes in these all-American colors. With its creamy white cheese and deep ruby berries, this easy appetizer would be a welcome addition to any festive spread for the Fourth. It's a super quick snack that's absolutely scrumptious. Be sure to grill extra bread, I was a couple slices short and hated to see the last of the gooey cheese and fresh relish go to waste. If you like brie, this recipe is a must make. Learn the simple method.