The editors of Williams-Sonoma - Luscious Fruit Desserts: More Than 50 Recipes for Baking with the Seasons Harvest (Williams-Sonoma)

luscious fruit desserts

The Editors of
Williams-Sonoma

photographs by
John Lee

Seasonally organized, this book features more than 50 recipes, each one crafted to take advantage of fruit at the pinnacle of freshness. Fruit is a perfect end to many meals, and the dry heat of an oven intensifies fruits inherent flavors while caramelizing their natural sugars. Most fruit desserts, including the ones inside this book, offer the benefit of being easy to make, good examples of the culinary principle that if you start with the finest ingredients and prepare them in ways that highlight their natural qualities, youll get outstanding results.

Spring is a transitional season, and youll find different fruits in the market depending on the climate in which you live. In the early spring, you will still find winters citrus fruits in the bins. As the weather warms, early raspberries and apricots start to make an appearance. Rhubarbs bright red stalks push up through the soil at the first sign of warmth. And strawberries are a sure sign that spring is in full swing.

As the weather warms, the abundance of berriesraspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries with all their kinreaches full tilt. Stone fruits, toopeaches, plums, nectarines, and othersproliferate in farmers markets as well as roadside fruit stands, lingering into early fall. Cherries, both sweet and sour varieties, come into their own in the hot weather, and their short season calls for snapping them up as soon as you can.

Cooling weather means that late-ripening tree fruitspears, apples, and quincestake over where stone fruits left off. Fall is when figs really come into their own, turning plump, juicy, and begging to be eaten. Pumpkins are one of the most popular ingredients for desserts this time of year, and grapes are at their peak. Cranberries show up just in time for Thanksgiving baking and linger as we approach the end of the year.

The winter season brings inclement weather, and local fruit harvests can be spotty. Still, apples, pears, and citrus fruits thrive and can be baked into sweet, comforting treats. Tropical fruits like bananas and pineapples, shipped in from exotic locations, add a bright boost to dreary days. Persimmons, pumpkins, and cranberries add their iconic flavors to sweet treats baked during the festive holiday party season.

raspberry-buttermilk sheet cake

We like this cake as is, sprinkled with confectioners sugar and cut into squares. Or, you can cut the cake in half crosswise, stack the halves, and layer between the layers. You can also bake the batter in a buttered 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) pan, which will yield a thicker cake. Add 1015 minutes to the baking time.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

1 cup (8 oz/250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus butter for greasing

2 cups (12 oz/390 g) all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon salt

1 cups (10 oz/315 g) granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

12 oz (375 g) fresh raspberries (about 4 cups)

Confectioners sugar for dusting (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 325F (165C). Butter a half sheet pan (13-by-18 inches/33 by 45 cm) and line it with parchment paper.

2 In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3 Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth, 35 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the buttermilk and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.

4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Scatter the raspberries on top, gently pressing them down into the batter.

5 Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 2025 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. If desired, dust lightly with confectioners sugar just before serving.

strawberry tart with orange cream

This elegant, make-ahead tart is the perfect dessert for a dinner party. It looks like it is difficult to put together but is actually very easy. Full-fat cream cheese will yield the best results, although reduced fat will also work; do not use nonfat cream cheese for this recipe.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

lb (250 g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

cup (2 oz/60 g) sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

2 teaspoons orange liqueur

lb (250 g) fresh strawberries (about 2 cups), hulled and halved lengthwise

cup (5 oz/155 g) apricot jam

1 On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) round about inch (3 mm) thick. Transfer it to a 9-inch (24-cm) tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom, and fit . Trim off any excess by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides of the pan so that it extends slightly above the rim. Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400F (200C). Fully bake . Let the tart shell cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

3 Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth, 35 minutes. Beat in the orange zest and liqueur until combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the strawberry halves in concentric circles on top, completely covering the surface of the tart.

4 In a small saucepan, warm the apricot jam over low heat until it liquefies. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl to strain out any fruit chunks. Using a small pastry brush, gently brush the strawberries with a thin coating of the jam to glaze the fruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

5 Let the tart stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, let the sides fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate.

strawberry-rhubarb brown betty

A brown betty is one of the easiest fruit desserts to throw together. You dont need to make a separate dough, which keeps prep time manageable. Instead, sweetened, buttered bread crumbs are layered with fresh fruit and then baked for a simple, homey, but irresistible dessert.