Fruit

This simple quick bread is one of my favorites. It’s wholesome and subtly sweet. Whole-grain amaranth has a nutty flavor, adds great texture, and is packed with protein and fiber.

This moist, buttery coffee cake with its crisp, cinnamon-sugar topping is based on an old fashioned recipe from the 1950s, called Blueberry Boy Bait, a coffee cake named for the effect it had on teenage boys. My boys aren’t teens yet, but this bait works for them. They’ll gobble it up in one day—with not a crumb left over.

This is a simple, elegant, not-too-sweet dessert that you can whip up in no time. I recommend using Bosc or Anjou pears in this recipe, because they hold their shape when baked.

This rustic free-form tart is great with raspberries, but you can just as easily substitute blueberries or blackberries. The cornmeal gives the crust a slightly crunchy texture, which complements the berries beautifully.

This modern twist on a traditional favorite has the added benefit of being fat-free. That’s right—no fat. So go ahead, dig in. I love this fresh out of the oven with a little vegan butter. It’s also great toasted.

Although the ingredients in this recipe may seem unusual, I urge you to give it a try. With their Mediterranean notes of fennel and olive oil, these biscuits taste festive and exotic.

This healthy crisp lasts well for several days (covered) on the counter. I’ll often make one, serve it for dessert, and then dig in again the following morning for a gorgeous berry breakfast. It’s made with natural unrefined sweeteners that are low on the glycemic index, and the berries and oats make for a nutritious, antioxidant-rich, fiber-packed treat. Fresh berries work best for this; if using frozen berries, defrost them for about 45 minutes and drain off any liquid that collects.

A great way to bake with plums, this gorgeous free-form tart is a perfect light finish to any meal.

These hearty scones are a perennial favorite, and now, thanks to gluten-free oats, even those on gluten-free diets can enjoy them. Feel free to swap out other dried fruits for the cherries. Dried apricots, cranberries, raisins, chopped dates, or figs are all wonderful substitutions. These are delicious with a little vegan butter!

This crumble is one of the best comfort foods I’ve ever tasted. My kids give it “Two thumbs up, and two big toes up!” As an added bonus, it’s made with fresh fruit, no refined sugar, and protein-rich, fiber-rich quinoa flakes. We eat this for breakfast, at teatime, as dessert, and any time in between.

Peaches and blueberries make a perfect pairing. Not only are they in season together, but their colors and flavors are also the ideal complement.

Blackberries are so tasty, and so good for you! Packed full of fiber and antioxidants, they are definitely a “superfood.” This dessert is tart and sweet. If you like it more tart, add another tablespoon of lime juice.

Gluten-free bread was made for bread pudding, which is best made with stale bread, because store-bought gluten-free bread is basically stale to begin with (yes, I said it, but you know you’ve always thought it, too!). To make it even staler, I usually cut it into pieces and lay it out on a baking sheet overnight before making this recipe. Humble, homely, but oh so divine!

Supposedly dating back to Colonial America, this old-fashioned dessert passes the test of time. For a modern spin, try it with a cool glass of rice or hemp milk, and watch for the smiles.

A wonderful addition to a weekend brunch, these scones are perfect served alongside fruit salad.

This recipe is a tribute to my Southern grandmother Catherene, who taught me to bake starting at the tender age of three. Part of her family hailed from Georgia and the others from Kentucky. The peaches are for Georgia, and the bourbon is, of course, for Kentucky!

Buckwheat is such a great old-world flour. Its distinctive, slightly sweet, earthy flavor pairs extremely well with tart apple.

This is perhaps the simplest dessert in this cookbook, and it’s also one of the tastiest. It’s extremely low in fat and full of good-for-you fruit. I make it when they’re selling cut-up mangoes on the cheap at Trader Joe’s.

Buckles differ from crumbles and crisps in that the fruit is interwoven with cake batter, then topped with a crumb topping. This dessert is a favorite of my son Monte’s. He loves it for its funny-sounding name and its supreme yumminess. The top should have a buckled or crumpled appearance.

These tasty, not-too-sweet muffins are packed with protein-rich quinoa and plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit. Add a glass of calcium-enriched OJ or rice milk, and you have a complete breakfast.