Berry

The BA Test Kitchen likes Grade B maple syrup for its deep and rounded flavor.

Here's a good base recipe for using frozen berries to prepare a flavorful sauce. I find that frozen berries need to cook a little to make them less watery and to concentrate their flavor. Look for raspberries that come frozen in a bag. Feel the bag to make sure all of the individual berries are loose and not clumped together. Bags of frozen berries tend to taste better than those frozen in a block.

A hint of lemon is perfect in a creamy baked custard. This one has no caramel to get in the way of the lemon flavor. Lemon juice would be too overpowering here. Instead, the subtle lemon flavor comes from steeping lemon zest in the milk for the custard mixture. The heat of the milk extracts the essential oil from the lemon zest skin, and the milk absorbs the delicate flavor. The hints of cinnamon and vanilla are there to support the lemon, not obscure it. Raspberry sauce makes a perfect complement. I wouldn't dream of serving the custard without it.

At the mention of this British dessert, my mind races through the various references to fools, from the fool that accompanied King Lear on his journey across the howling heath, to the modern question "What kind of fool are you?" But the name of this delicate dessert actually comes from the French word fouler, meaning to press or crush, referring to the crushed fruits that are gently folded into thick cream. It is this simplicity that makes the dish shine. And as the British fool, I get to choose the berries and sing "here we go round the mulberry bush" as I dish up!

For this Thanksgiving-in-a-glass cocktail, feel free to sub (thawed) frozen cranberries for fresh.

This sammie-side combo fulfills all your midday-meal needs.

My friend Keena lives less than a mile away and has a plum tree she can't keep up with. In early fall, she makes jam with as many plums as she can and sends me home with a big grocery bag full of them every time I see her. I'm not much of a canner, so I began sautéing them and using them as a topping for yogurt and porridge, and as a filling for these simple buckwheat crepes. While buckwheat groats have a pretty distinct flavor and can be a hard sell for many folks, buckwheat flour is commonly used and adored in both sweet and savory crepes. For this recipe, use oval-shaped Italian plums (or prune plums) if you can; they're nice and firm and lend themselves well to sautéing—or just plain snacking. Morning Notes: The crepe batter needs to rest for at least an hour, so plan accordingly or make the batter and refrigerate it overnight. If you go that route, the crepes cook best when the batter is at room temperature, so let it sit out for at least 30 minutes before cooking them.

Who doesn¿t love the taste of chocolate and strawberries together? Try this Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Shake for more of the great combination.

Try this winning Raspberry Lemon Splash recipe submitted by a consumer for CARNATION BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS® "Shake Up Your Morning" recipe contest.

You'll just love this Sumptuous Berry Shake, a CARNATION BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS® reader-submitted recipe from Marta R., New York, NY. Try it today!

Raspberries or blackberries can be swapped in for the blueberries.

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of Fox's MasterChef.

Briny feta is pickled, then tossed with plump olives and strawberries for a bright, juicy salad. Since the feta needs five days to cure in the fridge, this is a great make-ahead dish. Use Greek feta if you want neat cubes; Bulgarian feta is divine, but it needs to be handled carefully as it's very soft and crumbly. Whip up this recipe for a picnic, or serve it after a day on the beach when salt and sun are still on everyone's mind. Glasses of Prosecco or Saison are a perfect accompaniment.

I was at Palena, my favorite restaurant in Washington, at the end of a meal, when the dessert's taste and texture made me gasp. It was a shallow lemon custard, not just silky but crystal clear in its flavor: a blast of just lemon, cream, and sugar in one bite. Pastry chef Aggie Chin explained that it's her take on a posset, a traditional English dessert in which the cream softly sets with nothing but the help of the acid from the lemon juice. I knew I'd try this at home. It makes the perfect topping for the cookie-crumble crust I like to make, and the perfect base for the fruit I like best with lemons: berries. This can be easily doubled when you'd like to make dessert for two nights in a row, or for you and a friend to share.

The only thing better than a favorite dessert is two faves in one— without twice the calories, of course.

On a really hot day, freeze fruit for an hour or two prior to serving—it acts like sweet ice cubes.

This melon dessert will help keep you hydrated on scorching days.

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of FOX's MasterChef. The recipe calls for making homemade stock—using bones from game hens, chickens, or pigeons—to cook the farro in, but if you're short on time, you can substitute purchased low-sodium chicken broth.