When it comes to baking in the summer, most of us might not want to heat up the house by using the oven. However, with delicious summer fruits at their peak, thoughts of lovely gallets, pies, turnovers, and shortcakes can’t be far behind! Making fruit the centerpiece of summer desserts seems to just go with the season, and while fresh fruit is often wonderful in its natural state, combining and cooking it with flaky, buttery pastry can actually elevate and enrich the delectable flavors, which for me makes adding a little heat to the house totally worth it!
Using fruit for baking is wildly popular in the summer, and the sweet juicy flavors refresh the palate and provide a wonderful touch to recipes that fit the warm weather. Pies are a popular way to use sweet, summertime fruits, but if a classic pie does not quite fit your style, you can use pie crusts, cookie dough, or even basic pizza dough to bake an amazing array of fruit pastries. Peaches, berries of all types, kiwi, pineapple, blueberries -- really almost any summer fruits make for wonderful ingredients in your pastries and are a perfect answer for your summer sweet tooth.
If you're wondering how other people whip up beautiful turnovers and Danishes, you might consider buying some premade dough instead of making it yourself. Store-bought puff pastry can be your best friend, especially when you want to make a delicious, impressive dessert (or appetizer) in an hour, not a full day. From flaky breakfast pastry puffs to extravagant desserts, buying pre-made pastry dough helps bring these great options for a dinner party or potluck to life without spending your whole summer day laminating pastry dough.
Try these Bellisari’s recipes using store-bought dough, and you’ll understand why I think baking in the summer is totally worth it! Bellisari’s Apple & Fig Rose Pastry (https://bit.ly/3eQgVT4). This beautifully delicate and sweet little pastry is not only a prize for the palate, but it is also a feast for the eyes!
Another super recipe using fresh summer berries and flaky puff pastry is for our Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Fruit Pastries (https://bit.ly/3ePnAN5). The timeless combination of cream cheese and fresh blueberries surrounded by flaky, buttery puff pastry will make baking and perhaps heating up the house a little bit, a summer activity to look forward to each year.
Finally, I’d like to introduce our newest product to hit the supermarket shelves -- our newest member of the Bellisari's Family, Phyllo Shells. Fill ‘em up! Light, flaky layers of dough are formed into mini pastry cups and then fully baked. Fast, versatile, and easy to use, Bellisari's Phyllo Shells are ready to fill with sweet or savory ingredients — try our Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread over cream cheese or our Blue Cheese Honey & Shallot Spread with blueberries and red onion — the possibilities are limitless. You don’t even have to turn on the oven to make these little bites of heaven!
Don’t be afraid to generate a little heat in the kitchen this summer! Ease into summer baking with Bellisari’s delightful phyllo shells. Then let your creativity be your guide. Whether you choose to make your own or use store-bought pastry dough, I think you’ll find that doing a little summer baking with the help of our Bellisari’s spreads, sauces, and phyllo shells is totally worth it!
