~ O Joy ~

These weeks ahead are akin in excitement level to holiday baking for me . . . all of the fruit peaking in ripe, sweet beauty inspires the most glorious desserts (the kind that also make for a delicious breakfast, right?!). There are few things more satisfying to eat, and simple to bake, than fruit cobblers. My Apricot Nectarine Cobbler starts with the fruit baked for a bit in the oven, then topped with a yogurt-based biscuit that is light and tender and wonderful. A beauty to behold. Blueberry Cobbler gets a different treatment with more of a shortbread-style crust on top that I can't get enough of. The story with this one is special to me as well. Of course, if you're my mom, you'd bake pie after pie. My sister replicates my mother's with remarkable similarity, a true gift. Free-form Tart Cherry Galette is so much fun to make with its easy-to-handle (and beautiful) cream cheese crust. Bake for a crowd with Cherry Slab Pie, in a sheet pan. Make a simple Raspberry Crumb Cake that snacks like no other.