• Berry tiramisu slice
    Baking

    Berry Tiramisu

    If you’ve taken one of my Summer Italian Kitchen cooking classes over the past few years, you may recall watching me make this berry tiramisu, or perhaps even prepared it along with me. Summery and just sweet enough, it’s not only a no-bake dessert, but truly no heat, as the syrup from macerated berries replaces the espresso into which the ladyfingers are traditionally dipped.  Layers of soaked ladyfingers, berries, and the mascarpone whipped cream I enjoy on so many desserts make for a light, airy, and incredibly flavorful treat. Through my summer Italian recipes, I love celebrating the beautiful simplicity of Italian cooking with its emphasis on fresh, quality ingredients.…

  • Raspberry peach mocktail
    Drinks

    Raspberry Peach Mocktail with Rosemary

    Sunlight poured through the window just as I put the finishing raspberries in my glass.  A quick storm gave way to such glow I was happy to have a drink ready for the moment.  Plentiful rain has given us rejuvenating late afternoons and kept the herbs growing strong, making rosemary a natural addition to this raspberry peach mocktail.  Prepare the peach puree and raspberry syrup during the next midday storm and fill your glass as it starts to slow, then kick back and watch the summer light burst. Mix this drink again when the sun is unflinchingly strong for another fill of summer goodness.  Lounge about, bask in the light,…

  • Raspberry white chocolate chip cookies
    Baking

    Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

    With rustic texture, white chocolate chips, and sweet-tart fresh raspberries, these cookies have so many reasons to be loved.  I was inspired to create them as a seasonal Valentine’s Day update to my traditional chocolate chip cookies. Admittedly, I indulge in a deep dark chocolate brownie on a regular basis, but I also appreciate the sweetness and texture of white chocolate, which melts perfectly in a cookie.  I even drizzle some on my heart-shaped pistachio cookies.  The raspberries add brightness to the brown sugar and oat flavors already laced throughout the cookie for a downright delicious way to celebrate the season of love and loveliness. Each day leading up to…

  • Triple berry crisp
    Baking

    Triple Berry Crisp

    “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit…” – Henry  David Thoreau The berries have been just so good this year.  After plucking some from the refrigerator, I realized it was time for their brightness  to be matched with a buttery crumb.  On went the oven.  Even as the months get warmer, I don’t hesitate to bake up a fruit-based dessert such as this triple berry crisp. In this recipe, I combine strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries because they’re delicious alone but even more so when combined.   As they bubble and thicken in the oven, the berries mingle, some burst, but quite…

  • Rum Raspberry Dessert Sauce
    Food

    Rum Raspberry Dessert Sauce

    We are in the midst of a heat wave, and the Fourth of July is almost here, which means many of us will be scooping ice cream, gelato, and other frozen desserts at picnics and barbecues long into the weekend. Velvety chocolate sorbet and rich vanilla bean ice cream and are at their seasonal best when paired with slightly tart berries, so this week I’m serving up a rum raspberry dessert sauce that you can use to top just about any flavor. (I’m looking at you, coconut and blood orange!) The only danger is eating it by the spoonful before your icy treat even nestles into the bottom of the…