Raspberry

I like to use frozen berries for this crumble. Not only can I have it any time of year, but the juices left in the bag after thawing provide sweetness (without adding a lot of sugar) and sauce for the crumble.

We found this recipe in Jerry Thomas's 1862 How to Mix Drinks or the Bon Vivant's Companion, in a recipe for a single serving. It called for Holland gin—or genever, as we know it today—and was probably a very popular drink. The back story is that when planning our first End of Prohibition party we were searching for punch recipes that could be served in teacups. So we started going through books and shot a few ideas back and forth until we found papa Jerry's recipe. We replaced the genever with Plymouth gin, and with a few more tweaks we got it perfect. The decorative ice block adds a great visual effect.

Raspberries are pureed and strained, then the mixture is partially frozen, and, finally, the slush is served in sugar-rimmed glasses. If you prepare the dessert ahead and freeze the mixture until hard, defrost it in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving, to achieve the desired silky consistency. Individually quick frozen (IQF) berries, available year-round at most supermarkets, are generally of high quality and have been picked at the peak of ripeness and frozen without sugar. If fresh raspberries are in season, of course, you can use them.

Fresh figs are a wealth of life force, containing thousands of tiny seeds that make them a very virile and hormone-rich food. These delicate fruits are very popular in the cuisines of Europe and the Middle East, where they originated. Feel free to use any sprouted nut in the preparation of the nut kreme; pecans are my favorite.

This is an adaptation of a recipe created by our local berry farm.

Chris Ford, pastry chef at Washington, D.C.'s Rogue 24, brings this British-style "pudding" to picnics and BBQs. Serve with whipped cream and more berries.

These skillet-fried biscuits are a little sturdier than many other biscuits in order to hold the fresh berries intact. The butter bumps up the flavor as well. When they are fried, they remind me of the blueberries we picked early one morning as Girl Scouts and made into pancakes—a culinary highlight of my childhood. But they are very special baked as well. Either way, they’re a winner.

Use this versatile, brightly flavored vinegar in dressings, for deglazing when making pan sauces, and for the Raspberry Shrub

Because puréed frozen raspberries and yogurt both have thick, creamy textures, you can spoon them into pop molds one after the other for a striking layered effect without taking the time to freeze the layers separately.

A glass of chilled Prosecco is a fine prelude to a summer meal. Morphed into a sophisticated gelée, it's a great ending, too.

Buttermilk and honey makes these muffins remarkably tender and indescribably delicious. We love this recipe with raspberries, but you can also use any berries you have on hand.

"This dough, with its addition of whole wheat flour for a nutty taste and tender texture, is a must in your baking repertoire."—Karen DeMasco

A traditional Scottish dessert usually served on Burns' Night, cranachan or "crowdie cream" uses oatmeal and Scottish heather honey, rich amber in color and with a caramel flavor. Raspberries or loganberries are the traditional fruits, but any soft fruit can be used. Likewise, Scottish pinhead oats are best here, but the similar steel-cut oats will work too. Serve with a dram of whisky and a piece of shortbread for extra authenticity.

The defining aspect of Swedish pancakes is their superthin size. Make these small for a sweet Sunday morning treat. Berries appear often in Swedish food, both fresh, as atop these pancakes, and in sauces for savory dishes.

To create patisserie-perfect macaroons, Sandra Holl uses very finely ground almond flour. To remove the larger pieces, sift the flour before using.

If you don't believe the saying that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, this simple yet incredibly good sorbet is proof positive that it can be true. This is my all-time favorite sorbet.

This jolly beverage gives "fruit cocktail" a fun new meaning.

This dessert is as easy as it is delicious—put it together in the morning and let it chill in the fridge until dinner time.