Summer Desserts

As the weather begins to get warmer and winter starts to move behind us, many of you may be gearing up for long days by the pool, spending an afternoon in the sun and getting back to favorite outdoor activities. Another great warm weather tradition that I am personally excited for are barbecues. Every year as soon as it gets warm enough to wear shorts, you can find my dad outside cooking on the grill. While his steaks and burgers are to die for, its hard to think of the perfect dessert to match his perfect grilling. If you find yourself facing the same problem, here are a few spring and summer options to get your taste buds tingling.

1. Ice Cream Sundae Bars: Fast, easy, and creative, dessert bars are a great way to offer everyone something they can enjoy (just make sure you keep this bar inside to avoid melting). If you are looking for a more waistline friendly option, try frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. You can still have all your favorite toppings with half the calories.

2. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait: If you are searching for something light, delicious, and heart-healthy, this is the way to go. Use your favorite fruit, nuts, and yogurt to make parfaits that are attractive to the eye as well as the stomach. Have guests that are allergic to nuts? Try cereal or nut-free granola instead!

3. Fourth of July Cupcakes: Looking for something festive for your Independence Day barbecue? Not only are these cupcakes easy to make, you can also get creative with your decorative toppings. If you are looking for something on the healthy side, use strawberries and blueberries to create the flag. Or if you are in a rush, simply use colored icing to create the same effect.

4. For the extremely venturous…Watermelon Cupcakes! Two of my personal favorites all wrapped into one, watermelon cupcakes combine healthy and sugarcoated in a delectable combination. Just follow the recipe below and you will have one of the most creative desserts on the block in no time at all.

What you will need:

8 cupcake liners

8 cupcake shaped pieces of seedless watermelon

2 cups pineapple cream cheese frosting

Sprinkles (for garnish)

Place liners in an 8-cup cupcake tin. Cut 3-inch thick slices of seedless watermelon. Cut round cupcake sized pieces from the slices. Put a watermelon ‘cupcake’ in each liner. Place a dollop of frosting on each cupcake. Decorate as desired with sprinkles. Serves 8.

*This recipe and photo courtesy of www.squidoo.com

-K.H