Blueberry

If you've never had pie made from wild blueberries before, you'll be bowled over by the intensity of this one. The light, tender crust provides a sublime foil for the deeply flavorful fruit. Take heart if you can't find fresh wild blueberries in your area—frozen ones also yield excellent results.

Few desserts scream summer as much as these ice-cold pops on a scorching day. Lime juice adds a tart, refreshing twist to this classic fruit treat on a stick.

A light syrup, laced with the refreshing lemony-floral taste of verbena, and a scoop of cassis sorbet amplify the tug-of-war between sweet and tart in a bowl of mixed summer fruits.

Expect a line to form when you unveil this stunning dessert. It's swirled throughout with tangy lemon curd, which amplifies the richness of the surrounding cheesecake.

If you can't find golden raspberries, simply substitute more red raspberries.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Berry bread puddings can be made out of any kind of leftover breads — we like brioche, challah, French, sourdough, and cinnamon. The texture is best if the bread you use is a day old. This recipe is designed for individual servings, but you can make it a in large baking dish too. If you're pressed for time on the day of the shower, you can make this the day before.

Editor's Note: This recipe was originally part of a menu by Bobby Flay for a backyard barbecue. For the complete menu and Flay's tips on throwing a party, click here. Ripe pineapple, with its plentiful natural sugars, is ideal for grilling, and it screams "tropical" like nothing else. This makes a great dessert after spicy Latin, Indian, or Caribbean food. Make sure to let the slices brown; you want lots of those caramelized, almost burnt edges. Mascarpone is a smooth Italian dairy product with a texture somewhere between whipped cream and cream cheese. It's used in tiramisù and available in many supermarkets and gourmet stores, but if you can't find it, good-quality vanilla ice cream will taste just fine.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Little squares of cake make perfect individual portions. We used our favorite combination of berries picked at their peak, but feel free to use any fruit in season. Bake two days in advance and assemble a few hours before the party.

The trick: Fake a little fat.
What better way to eat your fill of antioxidant-rich blueberries than via cheesecake? Executive chef Terry Conlan of Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas, makes over dessert-tray favorites, like this Blueberry Icebox Pie, by mixing lowfat and nonfat products rather than using all fat-free foods. For your favorite recipes, replace full-fat dairy with 50 percent lowfat and 50 percent fat-free.

Whole-wheat pancakes are as tasty as the buttermilk kind. They also offer extra fiber, which will keep you feeling so full that you'll need only a light lunch.

She may be a world-class diver, but Kimiko Hirai Soldati, 30, has the same diet goal as the rest of us: She wants to look good in a swimsuit. She eats 40 percent protein, 40 percent carbs and the rest fat, spread out over five small meals a day. Eating frequently "keeps you satisfied, so you're not starving and overeating," Soldati says. She freezes peeled fruit so she can always whip up a drink.

Saturday breakfast. From Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas. These Southwestern-style pancakes (with antioxidant-rich blueberries) run rings around an a.m. bagel. Executive chef Terry Conlan uses dried or frozen berries when fresh aren't available. Invite pals over and whip up an impressive stack.

Fruit may become your first choice for dessert after you try this dish: Fresh blueberries are the ideal topping for the almond-date crust. You'll get a helping of antioxidants and fiber, and don't be afraid of the fat: It's mostly the healthy kind. Bonus: This dessert doesn't require any baking.

Ann Gillespie of Alexandria, Virginia, writes: "Because I'm balancing graduate school and a family, I try to cook things that don't take a lot of time. But I love experimenting with ingredients, so most of my recipes are easy to make and use interesting flavor combinations. During the week, salads are our mainstay. When we get bored with veggies, we add different fruits, like the blueberries in the recipe here."

These small muffin-shaped cookies deliver a brown-sugar-infused crunch, followed by an intensely fruity burst of blueberries and lemon.