Submit ideas for a Labor Day Dinner dessert

[Michael M]

I often have friends over for dinner at this time of the year and finish off the meal with a single-portion fruit pie/crisp/tart topped with homemade gelato of some sort. I tend toward the fruit side of the dessert menu, not the chocolate, but at this point in the season the market overflows with peaches, blackberries and those extra-special fall raspberries.

I'd like to support those somehow with cream/caramel/herb/white chocolate flavors, but I'd like a special dessert for the end of the season. I'm moderately adept in the pastry kitchen, short of foams and spun sugar!

My brain is dead in terms of inventiveness; any ideas?

[lalala]

I just made a fig raspberry tart, sort of like one I had 15 years ago at chez panisse upstairs...

Puff pastry, macerated figs (i used cointreau and a bit of sugar), macerated raspberries and a bit of egg wash. Bake until browned on the puff pastry.

It is supposed to be served with lavender honey ice cream, but it was just dandy on its own.

Sorry its not a chocolate or white chocolate dessert, but the figs right now are sooo good.

lalala

[Michael M]

No, actually I don't want chocolate! I want fruit. But you just can't get good fresh figs that I know of here in Chicago unless you grow them. And I'm working on that (maybe by Labor Day 2008).

[KatieLoeb]

Cobbler, cobbler or cobbler. Drizzled with Dulce de Leche. Oh Baby!

[Kerry Beal]

Pavlova, lots of varied fruits, chantilly cream.

[gbbaker]

How about individual peach and raspberry galettes.

[Michael M]

Thank you. The cobbler and galette is what I've basically been serving all summer (what I meant my crisps/tarts, that whole category of fruit contrasted with a buttery grain-thing). The pavlova is interesting, and I might do that. Other ideas?

[Kerry Beal]

Trifle made with fresh or slightly stewed fruit. Sorbet. Sauces for ice cream. Peach melba.

[Caroline923]

What about a white chocolate mousse parfait with the raspberries and a crunchy caramel/coconut wafer/cookie??

[therese]

Two ideas:

Use an almond "base," either an almond-flavored rice pudding or dense sweet cake that uses marzipan, or an almond-flavored dairy item like mascarpone or panna cotta. Almond pairs really well with both peaches and raspberries.

Crepes, however you'd like to configure them. You could do a last minute flambe for fun.

[helenjp]

An old-fashioned favorite of my mother's: Apple Snow. Light enough for the beginning of autumn. I think you could adapt it to other soft fruits, though the mild flavor has its own attraction.

Cook up apples, lightly spiced, preferably without water, add a little water or wine if needed. Sweeten, sieve, set aside. When ready to assemble, whip some eggwhites (about 1 eggwhite to every 3 apples, depending on size of apples???Way too long since I made this, sorry) and fold into the apple.

My mother claimed that it was supposed to be served in individual pastry baskets assembled and/or decorated with caramel, but that was not something I ever got to see .

[searchingforclues]

I love the peach or pear upside down cake from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. It uses ground up almonds which go great with the fruit. Brown sugar and butter give it a carmelly crunch around the edges. Great with fresh cream or ice cream, served while still warm.

[forever_young_ca]

I have made for years a peach/blackberry pie. It is always the first dessert to get eaten. I use the fresh fruit pie receipe in the Joy of Cooking and lattice the top - very pretty. It is a perfect end of summer dessert.

[Aphra]

I'd like to support those somehow with cream/caramel/herb/white chocolate flavors, but I'd like a special dessert for the end of the season.  I'm moderately adept in the pastry kitchen, short of foams and spun sugar!

My brain is dead in terms of inventiveness; any ideas?

←

Not a pastry, but what about a take on classic Pêche Melba? Poached peaches with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice-cream.

Epicurious have a couple of nice variations.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I baked a Peach-Blueberry Pie today to serve with vanilla ice cream for our Labor Day lunch ... I like the fact that a few blueberries colors the peach juices a lovely rosy hue... the peaches here in Georgia this summer have been large, succulent, and very juicy .. maybe the heat ... with very little rain?

[Michael M]

Thanks for everyone's help. I went with a peach frangipane tart with sour cream-vanilla bean ice cream. It's rare that I'll serve a dessert to guests I've never made before, but this one was great. Since it was served at room temp, the ice cream was rather beside the point, I think, but homemade ice cream always goes over well.

I've made frangipane tarts with quince and apple, and haven't been happy with the frangipane part, but this recipe's was great, though sweeter than I prefer, even with a reduction in the sugar it called for. I got it from a nectarine-frangipane tart recipe in the most recent Gourmet, which was just a pate sable with a nice, soft frangipane cream, peaches on top, glaze afterwards.

I'll share the recipe if anyone likes as written and with my sugar/salt changes (I omitted the salt in the cream - pointless to me - ).