Fruit Dessert

Yes, buttermilk is good for tender griddlecakes and baked goods, but as these delicate individual puddings show, its tangy flavor is not to be taken for granted. The sauce that tops the puddings begins with a red-wine syrup mulled with citrus and a bay leaf and then puréed with strawberries. A final scattering of mixed berries gives a down-home touch to something that is, at heart, wonderfully curious and complex.

Nearly all of chef Kyle Caporicci's sweets come with their very own ice cream pairings: carrot cake with root beer ice cream; mango-kiwi cheesecake with mint. And in the case of this exotic fruit salad, the topping is a refreshing sake granita and pear sorbet.

At FIG, ice cream isn't just for warm weather. In winter you'll find, say, molten chocolate cake paired with pistachio ice cream or maple ice cream atop spiced apple-raisin crumble. Summer in South Carolina means fresh local peaches, and chef Mike Lata puts them to good use in these single-serving tarte Tatins. They're pretty and delicious on their own, but with the addition of the Lemon Ice Cream, they're absolutely sublime.

A semifreddo is an Italian soft-frozen custard mousse. Grappa, which is floral and just a little edgy, bumps the musky, intoxicating sweetness of the melon up a notch.

Everyone's free to be a kid again with one of these wickedly good frozen treats in hand. Chewy blondie cookies bookend a thick layer of lemony ice cream (store-bought vanilla bumped up with lemon juice and zest) ribboned with a speedy blueberry compote.

This ice cream forgoes eggs, which can mask the flavor of fresh berries. The result is an intensely-flavored dessert, so make sure you're getting the best berries you can find. (Our strawberry buying guide can help.)

Crown broiled peaches with pillows of meringue and a bit of honeyed crunch.

This frozen dessert has the creamy texture of softened ice cream—but doesn't require an ice cream maker.

This rustic take on a peach crumble couldn't be easier: Halved peaches are topped with a quick mixture that includes amaretti, almonds, butter, flour, and sugar. The crunchy topping is a nice contrast to the warm, tender peaches.

Exotic ginger-poached peaches are served with light, delicate meringues and softly whipped cream in a dessert that's great for summer entertaining (the peaches and meringues can be made a day ahead). A serrated vegetable peeler makes quick work of peeling the peaches.

Akashah's tasty citrus torte is both gluten-free and a source of healthy unsaturated fat.

Apricots and almonds have an affinity for each other, as you'll discover in this marriage of the stone fruit and a cool semifreddo dotted with crushed almond praline.

A simple, delicious summer dessert with nectarines.

By its very nature, a Pavlova is a little wild—as proved by these three tiers of airy meringue, which crack and crumble to reveal marshmallowy interiors while the berries' juices puddle all over drifts of whipped cream. And that playful mix of textures and flavors sure tastes delicious. Meringues aren't usually made with moist brown sugar, but here it adds a deeper kind of sweetness. Baking them in cake pans, another unusual technique, helps these meringues crisp up.

Any kind of mild honey will work beautifully here. It will cook into a rich caramel, which coats the peaches and deepens their sweetness.