Carolyn Malcoun's Blog

Fresh fruit desserts in 15 minutes

By Carolyn Malcoun, June 23, 2009 - 4:36am

My poor husband. He grew up in a family full of sweet tooths, a family who always ate dessert after dinner. I, on the other hand, was raised by a mother who always had a bag of Cheetos stashed in the corner cupboard and a father who is psyched when he can get a cheese plate for dessert when we go out to dinner.

So when we first moved in together I was just plain confused when I’d watch him root around the cabinets looking for something sweet after dinner. Dessert? Every night? Really?

I could only take his pitiful pillaging for so long. I decided it was time to whip up some healthy fruit desserts. Not only does he get a serving of fruit from his dessert, but they’re all ready in 15 minutes or less, so I don’t spend too much extra time in the kitchen. And I like them, too, so we both win! Here are some of his favorites:

1. Citrus-Infused Strawberries: A touch of lemon juice and Grand Marnier add zippy citrus notes to fresh strawberries. Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
2. Caramelized Bananas: Rum, cinnamon and brown sugar make a luscious sauce for bananas. The bananas have to get in and out of the pan in 1 1/2 minutes, no longer, so they stay firm in the center.
3. Instant Peach Frozen Yogurt: Frozen peaches turn into nearly instant frozen yogurt in this quick and easy recipe.
4. Mixed Berry Sundaes: A melding of your favorite summer berries top scoops of sorbet in the perfect summer dessert.
5. Rhubarb-Vanilla Compote: Vanilla and cinnamon add subtle flavor to this quick rhubarb compote. I can serve warm or cold, and it’s delicious wrapped in storebought crepes, stirred into Greek yogurt or over low-fat ice cream.