Fruit

My favorite way to eat these cupcakes is smothered in Vegan Coconut Frosting (page 97), with a touch of toasted coconut flakes on top. To toast, preheat the oven to 350°F, and spread 1/2 cup of coconut flakes in a thin layer on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Place in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool completely, and then scatter over frosted cupcakes for a triple coconut threat.

Speckled with vanilla beans and dried figs, these light and delicate cupcakes make a sophisticated end to a lovely meal, or a satisfying accompaniment to afternoon tea. Try these plain or with Vegan Buttercream (page 95).

Made with goat cheese and raspberry jam, these healthy yet decadent mini cheesecakes are scrumptiously satisfying. Take note that they puff when baked and settle as they cool. Try experimenting with different flavors of jam, such as orange, cherry, or apricot. This is my boys’ favorite dessert and they ask me to make it quite often.

Dried cranberries provide vitamin C and dried apricots offer vitamin A in this fruit-filled cupcake. As a mom, I’m happy to see the boys pack this in their lunches. You can also serve it for dessert with Cream Cheese Frosting (page 95), another perfect example of healthy food that tastes great.

Light and zesty, these cupcakes are excellent with lemon cream cheese frosting (see page 96) or Whipped Cream Frosting (page 93). Pair with a frittata or quiche for a memorable Mother’s Day brunch.

Have a soft spot for Mounds candy bars? This simple flourless cupcake is made of shredded coconut and chocolate. It’s great with my Vegan Chocolate Frosting (page 92) or without any frosting at all. Shredded coconut provides great fiber, and the dark chocolate is full of antioxidants.

This cupcake with white chocolate chips and chunks of cherry is superb with White Chocolate Frosting (page 94). Top the cupcakes with a cherry for a special finishing touch. For a holiday version, substitute frozen cranberries for the cherries in the batter.

Chocolate and banana is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Try these cupcakes with Banana Whipped Cream Frosting (page 93), along with a side of strawberries.

If you’d like an accompaniment to summer fruit soups but don’t want to turn on the oven, these slightly sweet scones are just the thing to make.

For success with this soup, don’t settle for less than luscious, tree-ripened peaches. Avoid peaches that are bought rock-hard, only to ripen to flavorless mush after several days of waiting.

Requiring no cooking and no blending, this soup takes full advantage of the lush fruits of midsummer.

It takes minutes to make this sweet soup. Try serving it after a meal rather than before—it’s a wonderful palate cooler after a spicy meal. Or it can be the main event at lunch on a hot summer day, served with blueberry muffins.

A perfect dessert soup to make in July, when melons are at their sweetest. This makes a refreshing finish to a grilled meal.

This super-quick no-cook soup is delicious enough to serve as a dessert.

Enjoy the convergence of strawberries and midsummer berries in a sweetly spiced broth.

This and the following berry soup are the only fruit soups in this chapter that need a bit of cooking. The wine and spices give it a wonderfully complex flavor.

Think of this no-cook soup as a Thai-flavored gazpacho. It’s best with really lush summer tomatoes. Serve with a cold noodle dish for a quick summer meal.

Though undoubtedly Indian influenced (it bears a passing resemblance to the traditional East Indian mulligatawny soup), this is actually an adaptation of a classic curried chicken stew recipe from the American South.

Cashew butter makes an offbeat, rich-tasting soup base. This luscious soup is good hot or at room temperature.

Peanut butter gives this soup a rich flavor. In my home, this is a fall favorite!