Blackberry

Pat: When it comes to summertime in the South, fresh peaches rule. We put them in ice cream, pie, and cobbler. We pack them in mason jars and cover them with syrup. No getting around it: we have never met a peach-and-sugar dish that we didn’t like. When we were kids, Momma Daisy had several peach trees in her backyard. She’d give my brothers and me a big basket, and we would go out and pick them right off the tree. Next thing you knew, she was making cobbler—man, was that a treat. Needless to say, that was always a fun trip, and now we get to relive it by sharing her recipe with you.

This can be a great dish all year round, if you choose the best fruits available. The addition of mint adds a bright, refreshing flavor to the sweetness of the fruit.

Rich, thick Greek yogurt cloaks balsamic-scented blackberries for a refreshing, lower-fat brûlée.

These dessert soufflés are light and satisfying. The vermouth really brings the sauce together.

<p>Who knew that making your own fruit spread could be so easy and so delicious? I promise this recipe will not disappoint. And it's a perfect complement to the <epi:recipeLink ="350666">Perfect Crostini</epi:recipeLink.</p>

These cookies should set for a while before serving. The fillings help soften the meringue—and your patience will be rewarded with a wonderfully chewy texture.

A fragrant peach and berry filling is topped with slightly crunchy, gingery biscuits. You'll notice that the biscuits  contain grated hardboiled egg yolk: It adds some body.

Sealed jars may be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for up to one year. Unsealed jars must be refrigerated and jam must be used within a few weeks. For an even quicker jam, skip the canning instructions, ladle hot jam into clean jars, and store the jam in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

This dessert is like a frozen mousse, which helps explain its name: semifreddo, or "half-frozen."

Depending on the flavors and types of tea your kids like, feel free to experiment.

The soufflés can be assembled up to four hours ahead; chill until ready to bake.

In the discussion of preserving fruit By canning versus freezing, why doesn't this technique ever come up? Peacock credits the late Edna Lewis for teaching him to mix mashed fruit with sugar for a sort of jam that he says keeps for a year when refrigerated. (We only tested up to one month, but so far, so good.) "It's a very old-fashioned method," he says. "The flavor is fresh and intense and delicious spooned onto hot Buttered Buttermilk Biscuits or Yeast Rolls ." Try it with raspberries or strawberries, too.

Miss Lewis loved to serve this old-fashioned Southern dessert (which is actually more of a double-crust pie) warm, with the syrupy juice spooned over the crisp crust.

Juicy berries are marvelous nestled under a crispy top. This dessert is easy enough for a beginning baker to make and serve with pride.

The charm of this simple dessert is obvious: It takes sweet summer fruits and cooks them down so that everything good about them becomes even better.

This recipe was created by chef Geraldine Ferraro of the Four Swallows Restaurant on Bainbridge Island in Washington. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Assemble the berries and yogurt up to a few hours ahead, then pour the caramel over shortly before serving.

If you're searching for a showstopping dessert (that is secretly easy to make) to serve company, look no further. Each gorgeous — and delicious — tricolored slice is a canvas of decorative swirls: vibrant orange, deep purple, and creamy white.