- Summertime puts me in the mood for cool refreshing treats, like popsicles and sorbets. Minimalist Baker came up with a Raspberry Coconut Mango Sorbet that is a sure way to beat the heat on a warm day. This tropical dessert is made with fresh mangoes and raspberries, which are blended with full fat coconut milk and sugar to give it a sweet and creamy finish. The finished sorbet is smooth, satisfying and addictive – especially if you are a fan of tropical fruit flavors in the first place. Serve this sorbet as-is, or top it with a splash of champagne to celebrate a special occasion, such as a gathering of friends for a summer brunch.
- Another tropical recipe comes from What the Fork, where you’ll find a recipe for Coconut Cheesecake. This cheesecake has a rich filling made with cream of coconut, as well as cream cheese. A dash of coconut extract gives it some extra coconut flavor while maintaining the ultra-creamy texture of the filling. The crust is made with graham crackers and shredded coconut, while the cake is topped with a fluffy whipped cream and a generous sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes for added texture and flavor. The only thing better than one slice of this dessert is two slices of it!
- While I’ll never turn down a waffle cone as an ice cream deliver device, there are times when you want to plate up your desserts in a slighlty more sophisticated way. Some Kitchen Stories served up Sorbet in Grapefruit Cups, demonstrating just how easy it is to put a twist on a traditional presentation. This is more of a technique than a recipe, since you can use any flavor of sorbet – though I’ll still recommend choosing homemade! – to make these as long as you have fresh grapefruits available for plating. Whether you’re using a tangy grapefruit sorbet or a sweet strawberry one, this presentation will make the dessert one to remember.
- I drink quite a bit of iced coffee during the summer and I don’t mind sweetening things up from time to time with mocha and caramel syrups to keep things interesting. Over at Brewed Daily, I’m sharing a recipe for Homemade Vanilla Coffee Creamer that is absolutely perfect for sweetening up your iced coffee drinks this summer (though it is equally delicious in hot coffee drinks!). The creamer is sweet, creamy and will infuse your coffee with a delicious vanilla flavor. Making your own creamer is easy and it eliminates all the thickeners and other oddball ingredients you find in store bought coffee creamers!