Weekend Cooking: Review: Fresh Fruit Desserts by Sheryl and Mel London

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I was a bit hesitant to review this cookbook because I think it can be hard to find seeing that it was published in 1990. I've had Sheryl and Mel London's Fresh Fruit Desserts: Classic and Contemporary since it was hot off the presses. This one book has remained my primary fruit dessert book for the last two decades.

The cookbook is full of wonderful variations on crisps and crumbles and brown Bettys. You'll also find pies, tarts, bread puddings, poached fruit, baked fruit, frozen desserts, and sauces to spoon over the top.

If you can find this book or check it out of your library, I highly recommend it. There are not very many photos, but the desserts really don't need them. The directions are straightforward and the ingredients are easy to find at the grocery or farmers market.

Here's a recipe I've made many times. When I've been short of peaches, I've thrown in mango to fill out the baking dish. The headnote to the recipe mentions that you can use frozen peaches if that's all you have, but I've never tried that variation.

Peach Crisp with Almonds and Amaretto

Serves 6

Fruit

• 5 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into thick slices (about 3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca, ground in a blender or mini food processor
• 1 tablespoon Amaretto or other almond liqueur
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Topping

• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9 by 1½-inch round baking dish.

In a bowl combine the fruit ingredients and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the topping.

In a bowl combine the oats, flour, sugars, and ginger. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the nuts.

Spoon the fruit into the prepared dish, top with the oat-nut mixture, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Beth Fish's notes: I don't bother to peel my peaches. I use old-fashioned oats because that's all I ever have in the house. I've used coarse ground almonds when I don't have slivered or I'm too lazy to cut up whole almonds.

Published by Prentice Hall Press, 1990
ISBN-13: 9780131368965
YTD: 70
Source: Bought (see review policy)
Rating: A
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)