Dessert In The Summer

ideas for when it's too hot to even think about turning your oven on

Last week, I had to make and shoot a ten-layer Russian Honey Cake for a client. It was 92°F outside and, as I rolled out sheet after sheet of sticky honey cake dough in my non-airconditioned 88°F kitchen, I cursed my oven and decided that I’m not making desserts that involve turning that monster heat box on for the rest of the summer.

If you’re feeling like that too, here are some dessert ideas for when the very thought of your oven is enough to break you out in a sweat.

granita

The easiest and coldest dessert I can think of is granita. Granita is an Italian ice made by freezing a liquid (literally any that you’d like) in a shallow pan, and dragging a fork through it every so often, creating little shards or ice granules. Granita is great by itself sitting by a pool, lovely topped with a guzzle of cold wine or bubbles, and even better spooned over creamy ice cream.

Here are recipes for watermelon granita and espresso granita to get you started.

affogatos

Also in the easy, cold dessert category is affogato—one of my favorite desserts. Traditionally made with espresso, affogato is Italian for ‘drowned’ and it consists of pouring hot espresso over cold ice cream. Get creative with it (see this apple cider affogato) or stay classic with bitter espresso and creamy vanilla ice cream. To take it up a notch, add some texture with crumbled cookies or crunchy nuts on top.

and if you’re willing to use the stove briefly

In my opinion, the best summer desserts are the simplest. Cooking bright summer fruit down with a smattering of sugar and a little citrus creates vibrant compotes perfect for spooning over ice cream. And if you’re not interested in the stove, macerate some fruit with a little sugar and bit of lemon juice until the fruit is slightly softened and has released some juice.

My ideal summer dessert formula is something fruity (compote or macerated fruit) + something creamy (ice cream! or sorbet or yogurt or even whipped cream) + something crunchy (cookie crumbs, graham crackers, nuts, granola).

Stay cool, my friends!