(Family Features) - Summertime meals should be easy and casual. And when it comes to desserts, I have a trick or two for making easy summer desserts a bit special.
- Keep pre-scored cookie dough bars in the fridge - they make a quick and delicious dessert foundation that you can build on.
- Make sure your freezer has favorite ice cream and frozen yogurt flavors to choose from. They're great on their own, or as part of a sundae or homemade ice cream sandwich.
- I also keep fruit sorbets on hand, for recipes like Ginger Bites with Zesty Lemon Sorbet.
- Stock up on elegant add-ins like crystallized ginger, candied fruits or edible flowers-these little touches add a lot!
Taking a hint from some fancy restaurant dessert menus, our test kitchen staff came up with a last-minute dessert that's amazingly easy and quite elegant. Cool, sweet, creamy and crunchy, these dainty bites deliver big flavor with that burst of ginger and refreshing lemon. So when you want to seem rather "top hat" even though you're wearing a ball cap, give this test kitchen favorite a try.
Working in a test kitchen is fun and challenging. We love collecting ideas from our readers who post their great ideas on the Very Best Baking Web site. Recently, Brenda Washburn of Enid, OK became a Very Best Baker when she posted her recipe for Lemon Bread. She was the winner of the Share the Love sweepstakes and, as a result, got to visit the Nestlé test kitchens and learn tips and tricks from our staff. We had a great time making her wonderful bread!
To learn more about Brenda's trip and to post your own ideas visit VeryBestBaking.com.