Fruit Desserts for Every Season
December 11, 2012
•Emily Murray
•St. Louis
• 0 Comments
Fruit Desserts for Every Season
There is a vicious battle raging within our bodies, and often our taste buds win out over our brains with our waistlines losing in the end. Logically, we know that we should reduce our caloric intake and cut saturated fats, but many foodies and culinary arts school students savor decadent desserts on a regular basis. Gourmands do not have to line up at the local weight loss clinic as a result of desserts, but rather we can tempt our taste buds and flood our bodies with vital nutrients by infusing our dessert menus with nature’s sweets: seasonal fruits.
Vibrant, juicy fruits crowd the stalls at the local farmers markets and the shelves at the grocery store. Fortunately Missouri culinary schools in your area have excellent access to some of the freshest ingredients. By cooking and baking with locally-grown seasonal produce, we are reducing our food costs and incorporating the most nutrient-dense food into our diets. Although seasonal bounty is sweet, juicy, and tempting enough to eat on its own as a dessert, consider preparing desserts with fruits that reflect our most basic and visceral needs of the seasons.
Summer Sweetness
Fruit desserts are a natural choice in the dog days of summer. Fresh fruit is literally everywhere we look during the summer, so inspiration and sweet promise are never hard to come by. Traditionally, summer fruit desserts include salads, pies and tarts, and cobblers and crisps loaded with varieties of cherries, berries, peaches, nectarines and plums, but sweet potential abounds. Avoid turning on the oven in the steamy heat of summer; choose to create a frozen or grilled treat instead. For example, blueberry sorbet is a light and refreshing treat that packs a powerful antioxidant punch. Blueberries, sugar, honey, lemon zest and juice, combined with a few tablespoons of kirsch, blueberry, or orange liqueur with a bit of time and energy will end a meal with a fresh, light note.
If your dinner is absorbing the smoky flavors of the grill, make some room over the coals for your favorite seasonal fruits. Mango or peaches caramelized with a bit of char are crispy, fragrant, and sensual, and berries or cherries in a grill basket are bursting with flavor. If you are looking to impress your dinner companions, consider skewering chunks of fruit, drizzling them with honey, popping them on the grill, and serving them with a flavorful yogurt dipping sauce.
Fall Finales
As the weather cools and the leaves change, our attention turns to the abundance of fall fruit, typically apples, pears, pumpkins, cranberries, grapes, and figs. We are wrapping our bodies in cozy layers, and fall desserts reflect the need for comfort. Crisps, cobblers, and cakes are standard dessert fare, but consider whipping up some pumpkin cookies infused with fall spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, or a batch of cranberry fudge for a sweet and tart contrast.
Winter Winners
The heartiness of the fall fruit carries their influence to winter, so seasonal pies, cakes, and crumbles will star apples, pears, pumpkins, and cranberries through the holiday season. Although most foodies will not have access to locally-grown citrus because of geography, picking up a variety of oranges and tangerines at the grocery store is essential. Adding a variety of citrus fruits to desserts will provide much-needed vitamin C to your diet. Consider pairing tart cranberries and sweet oranges in a beautiful cookie bar for a special treat during the long, cold days of winter.
Spring Potential
Tender rhubarb and delicate strawberries emerge from the gloom of winter as a perfect tangy and sweet pairing. Rhubarb upside-down cake will tempt your taste buds, or create a rhubarb and strawberry sauce or glaze to spoon over pound cake or add to a parfait.
Dessert is the perfect finale to any delectable meal, but fruit desserts provide the sweetness and then nutrition that our taste buds crave and our bodies need. If you enjoy learning to make new desserts, culinary arts school may be a great step in the right direction. You may want to check out Missouri culinary schools in your area.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in St. Louis. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in St. Louis offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/ St-Louis for more information.
Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.chefs.edu/disclosures. Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.