Luscious Berry Desserts

Book excerpt: Sweetness is in season with over fifty recipes for berry-based treats in this colorful cookbook by the author of Luscious Lemon Desserts. This delightful cookbook is for anyone who’s ever snuck just the plumpest, ripest strawberry straight from the basket; believed raspberries should have their own special food group; and never met a blueberry they didn’t like. Each recipe is bursting with ideas for buying and trying every wonderful variety, be it sticky-sweet heart-shaped strawberries, deep purple boysenberries, or juicy ripe blackberries. Whether it’s creamy layers of brightly colored raspberry curd that transform a classic lemon cake into a visual masterpiece almost too gorgeous to eat (almost), a simple spoonful of cool and custardy blueberry pudding (with the added bonus of those healthy antioxidants), or a traditional and irresistible strawberry shortcake topped with a scoop of strawberry-orange sorbet, this is the ultimate ode to the berry. Also included are tips, tricks, and other techniques of the trade, such as pureeing berries and cutting out biscuits, to help your pound cake, tart, sauce, or ice cream comes out perfectly every time.