Choosing the menu for a backyard barbecue is usually simple — until you get to the desserts. When grilling outdoors, choose desserts that are light, that complement the main dishes or that take advantage of the fresh, seasonal fruits. Desserts that need last-minute preparation are suitable for a small group, but opt for desserts that you can make ahead when entertaining a larger group.
Grilled Desserts
The grill isn’t just for meat and vegetables. Grilling caramelizes fruits’ natural sugars, giving them a rich and earthy flavor. Soak fresh pineapple slices in a rum-and-brown-sugar mixture before grilling and top with a dollop of coconut sorbet, grill pitted peach halves sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and serve with simple vanilla ice cream or drizzle watermelon steaks with fresh lime juice and give them a nice sear on the grill. Skewer smaller fruits, such as kiwi and strawberries, onto bamboo skewers before grilling to keep them from falling through the grill’s grates.
Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is a classic backyard barbecue dessert that puts the fresh taste of summer on a plate. Turn fruit salad into your own creation by topping it with whipped cream or poppy-seed dressing, or giving it a splash of ginger ale or champagne for a touch of elegance. Add nonfruit ingredients to the salad, such as fresh mint leaves, nuts, mini marshmallows or crumbled cookies, or serve it over a bowl of ice cream. Look for unique containers, such as a hollowed-out watermelon or cantaloupe half or in wine glasses or champagne flutes.
Frozen Treats
Although ice cream may seem like the perfect after-dinner treat on a warm night, it is loaded with fat and sugar. Use low-fat frozen yogurt instead to make a delicious faux-ice cream cake or pie. To give it a nutritional and flavor boost, allow the ice cream to soften slightly and mix in some fresh, ripe berries. Use small paper cups and frozen-pop sticks to create your own frozen creations using yogurt. Flavor the yogurt before adding it to the cup using fruits or spices that will complement the yogurt's flavor, such as cardamom, nutmeg, honey, cinnamon or fresh cut-up fruit or zest. For a more elegant presentation, layer two flavors of yogurt in the cup, place the stick in the middle and pop it into the freezer.
Baked Goods
When make-ahead recipes are essential to successful party planning, turn to fruit pies, tarts and cobblers for a tasty dessert. Use cut-up fruits to make a hearty peach, blueberry or cherry pie, or keep it light by using the juice and zest of lemons or limes to make a lemon meringue or key lime pie. Using whatever fruit is in season, you can make turnovers, upside-down cake or a simple, yet tasty, cobbler.
Member Comments