Applesauce Streusel - Seasonal Fruits

2 cups self rising flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon cloves  

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 ¼ cup applesauce

⅓ cup oil

2 eggs

½ cup milk or buttermilk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup brown sugar 

¼ cup walnuts or pecans

1 Tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease bread loaf pan. Gently mix flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and sugars together in a large bowl. Add applesauce, oil, eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour ½ of the batter into the loaf pan. Mix brown sugar, nuts and butter and sprinkle ½ of mixture over batter in the pan. Pour remaining batter on top and sprinkle remaining streusel mixture over the top of the pan. Bake 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Canned Fruit Salad - Seasonal Fruits

5 cans of fruit (ideas include: pears, peaches, pineapple, grapefruit, mandarin oranges, mixed fruit)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 can maraschino cherries

Drain juices from canned fruits into a separate container (reserve juices).

To take this recipe up a level, try adding fresh seasonal fruits right before serving. Also, if you do not like coconut, put a dollop of cool whip or whipped cream on top to make it a light dessert.

Fruit Punch - Seasonal Fruits

½ cup sugar

Fruit juice from 5 cans of fruit

1 package fruit punch Kool Aid

Stir in ingredients, add additional sugar to taste. 

Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad - Seasonal Fruits

3 cup watermelon, cubed

2 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, torn

In a large bowl, combine watermelon, strawberries, feta and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired and toss to coat. Garnish with basil and serve.

Cooking Tips: The juices from the watermelon turned the Feta a nice shade of pink, so I think that I would mix the fruits and oil together and add the Feta when serving. Also, I think the oil could be cut down a bit to the cook's liking.

Summer Smoothie - Seasonal Fruits

½ plain or vanilla Greek yogurt

¼ cup fruit of your choice 

1 cup water or milk - fill to consistency 

Blend thoroughly and enjoy!

Quick Peach Cobbler - Seasonal Fruits

1 (29 ounce) can peaches in syrup

1 box yellow cake mix 

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick butter

Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Place peaches with syrup in a pan and top with a dry cake mix. Sprinkle with cinnamon and slices of butter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 - 50 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Fruit Bites - Seasonal Fruits

1 sliced baguette

1 (8 ounce) container whipped cream cheese

2 Tablespoons honey

Blueberries

Sliced peaches

Toast baguette slices at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Mix honey and cream cheese and spread on baguette. Top with blueberries, sliced peaches or other desired fruit. Drizzle with additional honey if desired. 

Peach Almond Streusel Muffins - Seasonal Fruits

Cooking Tips: The streusel for these crumbly, buttery breakfast treats can be made up a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator. These muffins are best the day they are made so don't hold back. 

STREUSEL TOPPING

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup almond meal

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

MUFFINS

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup packed light brown sugar

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

⅔ cup buttermilk

1 large egg

½ teaspoon pure almond extract

1 ½ cups chopped peaches (about 1 large)

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. 

To make the streusel, whisk together the flour, almond meal, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Add the butter and work it into the  flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles small peas. Cover and chill while you prepare the batter. 

To make the muffins, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg and almond extract in a medium bowl. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. The mixture will be thick. Stir in the peaches. 

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top of each muffin, followed by about 1 Tablespoon of the streusel. 

Bake for 24-26 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. After baking, be sure to remove the muffins from the pan after 5 minutes so that they don’t dry out. They will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days; if they last that long.

Peach Upside Down Cake - Seasonal Fruits

¾ cup butter, softened, divided 

½ cup packed brown sugar 

2 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup 2% milk

In a large bowl, cream sugar, and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the  flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Spoon over peaches. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm, perhaps with vanilla ice cream.