Summer-Fresh Cherry and Berry Desserts

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
June 01, 2012

Enjoy the Midwest's bounty of berries in these sweet treats, from cobblers to bar cookies to pies.

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Ozark Blackberry Cobbler

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A sugared crispy pastry covers sweet juicy berries in this traditional dessert from the Monte Ne Inn near Rogers, Arkansas.

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Cherry Brownies a la Mode

Credit: Carson Downing
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Traverse City's famous tart cherries get double billing in this sundae--baked in the brownies and spooned on top. But there’s another local fruit hiding here. Chef Adam Raupp of Mission Table restaurant adds a little Riesling to the sauce.

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Blackberry Galette

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Chef Katharine Elder at Kansas' Elderslie Farm makes her fold-over berry tarts in two sizes: petite for sharing with a friend or pie-size like this, to slice and top with the farm's goat milk gelato.

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Triple Red Berry Dessert Sauce

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This easy blender sauce tops ice cream or angel food cake with a gorgeous red berry punch. Look for spreadable fruit in the jam/jelly section of your supermarket. The sauce has just 37 calories for a two-tablespoon serving.

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Pink Lemonade Strawberry Shortcake

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Pink lemonade concentrate gives a summery twist to classic strawberry shortcake.

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Mixed Berry Slab Pie

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Floral notes from lemon zest, thyme and honey round out the sweet-tart punch of ripe berries in this creation from Shelly Cross and Jill Long of Madison's Humble Sweet and Savory Pies bake shop. Shelly and Jill have some mad pastry skills; amateurs can get creative, too, with the extra dough.

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Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

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Layers of cheesecake, raspberry filling, almonds and coconut form dessert bars perfect for summer picnics and potlucks.

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Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Elderflower Cream

Credit: Carson Downing
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To "bring the smell of the field" into this dessert, chef James Bloomfield of Alliance restaurant in Traverse City, Michigan, infuses whipping cream with fresh elderflowers. Get the same effect with a splash of St-Germain.

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Double Berry Skillet Cobbler

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Handy shortcuts make this recipe a breeze. Cooking the fruit in an oven-safe skillet cuts the bake time (and the number of dirty dishes). Refrigerated biscuits form the simple topper.

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Cherry-Berry Smoothie

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This quick-and-easy blender drink, from the Michigan Cherry Committee, combines cherries, milk, yogurt, blueberries or raspberries, juice concentrate, honey and vanilla.Cool tip Blender freeze-ups happen when there's not enough liquid around frozen ingredients. To solve the problem, pour liquids and soft ingredients into the blender first, then add the frozen stuff on top and blend. Still stuck? Pour in some juice or milk, then cover and blend again.

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Very Berry Triple Fruit Pie

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More than 4 cups of berries make this pie extra juicy. Be sure to let it cool completely before you slice it. And don't forget the vanilla ice cream! The recipe comes from Covered Bridge Farm in Forest Lake, Minnesota.

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Pistachio Pavlova with Fresh Berries

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Mildly nutty meringue cradles fresh berries in this classic dessert named for a ballerina. Use your favorite nut to flavor the meringue. Our Test Kitchen recommends pistachios, almonds or pecans. Any fruit works: blueberries, kiwi, bananas.

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Strawberry "Cool Brûlée"

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This deceptively good, weeknight-easy dessert has a topping of yogurt and whipped cream with raw sugar that looks like creme brulee, but requires no cooking.

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Blueberry Sour Cream Dessert

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Use fresh blueberries when in season to make this rich dessert, a cross between a pie and a cheesecake.

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Cherry-Berry Rich Shortcakes

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Michigan's fruit belt inspired our Cherry-Berry Rich Shortcakes. We played up the sweet cherries grown in the Great Lakes State, along with blueberries and raspberries. A shortcake biscuit base and sweetened whipped cream complete the dessert.

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Lemon-Blueberry Biscuits

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Lemon yogurt is the secret ingredient in these pretty biscuits. The recipe comes from Natura Farms in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota.

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Double Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

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Carol Schneider of Wausau, Wisconsin, brought home a blue ribbon when she entered these cookies at the Wisconsin State Fair. The recipe combines white and semisweet chocolate with dried cherries and walnuts.

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Blueberry Almond Bars

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This recipe earned the title of Grand Champion at the Marshall County Fair's annual Bake-A-Rama in Plymouth, Indiana. It looks great on a serving platter sprinkled with fresh blueberries.

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Michigan Tart Cherry Pie

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If you're a fan of classic, not-too-sweet cherry pie, look no further. This is our best one.

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Triple-Berry Angel Food Cake

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This simple, make-ahead dessert is light and colorful. If you're preparing it for a party, save time by using store-bought angel food cake and making the berry fruit spread the day before. You can substitute some of your other favorite fruits in the sauce, if you like.

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Strawberry-Walnut Shortcakes

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Nuts and orange zest give a crunchy and flavorful twist to this summer classic.

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Berry Pudding Cake

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Vanilla cake bakes over fresh blueberries and strawberries for a light, lower-calorie summer dessert.

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Blackberry-Pecan Streusel Pie

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Precook the juicy, tart blackberry filling before pouring it in the crust. The streusel topping becomes a crunchy sugar-pecan crown.

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Berry Easy Cobbler

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This warm, crunch-topped cobbler calls for 3 cups of blueberries, but if you'd like a double-fruit version, reduce the blueberries to 2 cups and add 2 cups fresh or frozen tart cherries.

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Cheesecake-Sauced Fruit Parfaits

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Blend just four ingredients to create this easy sauce from a Wausau, Wisconsin, reader. Serve over fresh fruit such as raspberries, blueberries or strawberries.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com