Perfect Summer Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is perfect for a backyard bbq or any occasion. There are never leftovers! This is one of my favorite fruit salad recipes, as I think the citrusy sauce really makes it.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• ⅔ cup fresh orange juice

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon grated orange zest

• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salad:

• 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple

• 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

• 3 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

• 3 bananas, sliced

• 2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

• 1 cup seedless grapes

• 2 cups blueberries

Directions

1. For the sauce: Bring orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon zest to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.

2. For the salad: Layer fruit in a large, clear glass bowl in this order: pineapple, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bananas, oranges, grapes, and blueberries. Pour cooled sauce over fruit; cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Mandarin Orange Cake

This moist and flavorful cake is infused with the bright and zesty essence of mandarin oranges, imparting a delightful citrusy flavor with every bite. Whether you're indulging in this dessert as a teatime treat or as a sweet finish to a meal, this mandarin orange cake is a delightful option for those seeking a unique and refreshing twist on traditional cakes.

Ingredients

• 1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

• 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice

• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2. Combine cake mix, mandarin oranges with juice, eggs, and oil in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.

4. Beat pineapple with juice, whipped topping, and dry pudding mix together in a large bowl until blended. Spread on cooled cake.

Apple Crisp

No time for pie? Try this simple dessert that's great served with ice cream.

Ingredients

• 10 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ cup water

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup butter, melted

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Step 2

  Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.

• Step 3

  Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

• Step 4

  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes.

Crispy Peach Cobbler

This crispy peach cobbler recipe is a delightful summer dessert that will surely impress your family and friends. The combination of juicy fresh peaches with a crispy, buttery topping creates a perfect balance of flavors and textures. This recipe is simple to make and requires just a few basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. Whether enjoyed warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cold from the fridge the next day, this crispy peach cobbler is sure to become a favorite in your home.

Ingredients

• 6 large fresh peaches, pitted and cut into eighths

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Batter:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 ¼ cups white sugar

• 1 ⅓ cups self-rising flour

• ⅓ cup rolled oats

• ⅔ cup whole milk

Glaze:

• ¼ cup white sugar

• 2 tablespoons cold water, or as needed to wet topping sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place a baking sheet on the rack under the middle rack to catch drips. Generously butter a 2-inch deep (2-quart) baking dish.

2. Place peach sections into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and zest.

3. Stir butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Mix until creamed and resembles a sugary, buttery paste, 4 to 5 minutes. Add oats and flour; stir until flour and oats are incorporated into the butter-sugar mixture and mixture resembles coarse crumbs, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in milk; stir until mixture is wet and creamy, like a thick spreadable batter, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Drop batter by spoonful on top of the peaches. Spread batter evenly over the surface of the peaches. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar on the batter. Spritz with water until sugar is wet and surface glistens.

5. Bake in preheated oven on middle rack until browned and crispy, about 45 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pineapple Cheesecake Dessert

This pineapple dessert is the perfect cool treat for hot summer days.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

• 1/2 C unsalted butter melted

Cream Cheese mixture:

• 8 oz Cream cheese softened

• 1/2 C unsalted butter softened

• 2 C powdered sugar

• 20 oz can of crushed pineapple drained (You will using about 3/4 of the crushed pineapple and the other 1/4 in the cool whip)

Cool whip mixture

• 1 8 oz cool whip

• 1/4 C crushed pineapple

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the 2 1/2 C crushed graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and mix until combined

• Using only 2 C of the mixture, press into a 9x9 baking dish

• Place into the oven and bake for 9 minutes

• Remove and allow to cool completely

• Then, place a can of crushed pineapple into a strainer and drain the juice completely

• Using a standing mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy

• Mix in the powdered sugar until incorporated

• Fold in 3/4 of the crushed pineapple into the cream cheese mixture

• Spread cream cheese mixture onto the cooled crust

• Using a large mixing bowl, mix together the last of the pineapple and cool whip together

• Spread onto the top of the cream cheese mixture

• Using the remaining graham cracker crust, sprinkle onto the top of the cool whip layer

• Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge overnight

Pull Apart Easter Blossom Bread

A rich eggy dough is twisted into pretty flowers, then filled with jam in this decadent Easter bread. Be sure to look at the pictures for how it is formed. Lemon curd is an option to replace the jam.

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed (divided)

• 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast

• ½ cup white sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 1 ¾ cups milk

• 3 eggs, beaten

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon water

• ½ cup seedless raspberry jam

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

• Step 1

  In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups of flour, the yeast, white sugar, and salt. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the unsalted butter with the milk until the mixture is warm, about 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Gradually whisk about 1/3 of the butter-milk mixture into the beaten eggs, then return the egg mixture back into the remaining milk mixture. Stir the lemon zest into the liquid ingredients (set aside lemon juice for later). Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture, and stir until thoroughly combined.

• Step 2

  Add enough flour to make a soft dough; turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Place dough into an oiled bowl, and turn the dough around to cover surface lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

• Step 3

  Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a round ball. On a floured surface, roll out a ball into a 12-inch circle. Place a drinking glass, face down, into the center of the circle to prevent cutting the dough too far into the center. Cut the dough with a knife, from the edge of the dough circle to the rim of the glass, into quarters. Cut each quarter into 5 narrow wedge-shaped strips. (Center of the dough is uncut.) Remove the drinking glass. There are 20 narrow wedge-shaped strips surrounding the uncut center of the dough.

• Step 4

  Pick up two adjacent strips, and twist them together about 4 times; pinch the ends of the two pieces together at the top. Gently coil to form a rough flower shape. Arrange the round into the middle of the circle, where the drinking glass was.

• Step 5

  Pick up two more adjacent strips, and twist and pinch them as before; coil them into a rough round, and arrange the new petal next to the center rosette. Repeat with remaining 16 strips, twisting and pinching them in twos, coiling and arranging them into 8 more petals around the center rosette. Finished bread has 9 petals surrounding the center round. Repeat steps with the second ball of dough to make two breads.

• Step 6

  Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper. Place the shaped breads onto the prepared baking sheet, reshaping them into rounds if needed; cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place into a warm spot to rise until almost doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

• Step 7

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat the egg yolk with water in a small bowl, and brush the mixture over both the breads.

• Step 8

  Bake in the preheated oven until the breads have turned golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

• Step 9

  Use your fingers to gently deepen the indentations in the center of each petal, and fill each with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Mix the reserved lemon juice and confectioners' sugar in a bowl to form a glaze; drizzle the glaze in thin lines all over both the breads. Allow glaze to set. To serve, pull the petals apart.