Summertime and the Desserts Are Easy

Ideas about dessert change as the weather gets warmer. Rich desserts are less appealing in the heat of summer. And as the fruits in the market become increasingly delicious, you start longing for simple fare to complement the bounty of summer.

All of the following cakes and cookies are easy to make, easy to freeze, and perfect when accompanied by fresh fruit, berries and a scoop of ice cream, sherbet or frozen yogurt. Simple though they are, they would also be great on a dessert table for graduation parties, showers and family celebrations.

But if you have friends who simply must have chocolate, even on the warmest day, there’s an easy solution: Simply keep some chocolate truffles in the freezer. They thaw at room temperature with just a few minutes’ notice, leaving them delightfully chilled--a chocolate lover’s dream on a hot summer night.

Generously dotted with currants and glazed with a thin lemon icing, this outstanding cake is perfect for more than just tea. It has the buttery taste and texture of a pound cake but is far more flavorful, complementing any fresh - fruit dessert. The cake will slice more neatly when it is stored overnight at room temperature. Wrapped airtight, this cake can also be frozen up to three months .

GLAZED IRISH TEA CAKE

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried currants

2/3 cup buttermilk

Generously grease 9-inch (7-cup capacity) loaf pan. Dust with flour. Tap pan over sink to discard excess flour. Line bottom with parchment or wax paper. Grease paper.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cream cheese.

Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together. Combine currants and 1/4 cup of flour mixture in small bowl. Stir until currants are well coated.

Add remaining flour to egg batter, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Stir in currants including any flour left in bowl. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth surface with spatula.

Bake in center of oven at 325 degrees until well-browned and wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. (Cake will crack on top.) Let cake rest in pan 10 minutes.

Use flexible metal spatula to separate cake from sides of pan. Carefully remove cake from pan and cool on rack. Spread Lemon Glaze on warm cake. Cool completely. Makes 1 (8-inch) loaf cake.

Note : Cake can be stored 2 days at room temperature, wrapped in foil.

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in small bowl. Stir until smooth.

Chewy and sweet almost like candy, these butterscotch squares are just the ticket for a sweet tooth. They can be kept up to three days at room temperature in an airtight tin or frozen up to three months.

BUTTERY BUTTERSCOTCH-WALNUT SQUARES

1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons maple extract

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and mix well. Transfer to mixer bowl. Beat in eggs, one at time, until smooth. Add maple extract and vanilla.

At low speed, add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until smooth. Stir in walnuts. Turn into greased 9-inch square pan. Spread smooth with spatula.

Bake until lightly browned, just beginning to come away from sides of pan and when wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely on rack. Cut into 2-inch squares. Makes 16 squares.

Note: To toast walnuts, spread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.

Hints of orange, clove and cinnamon are subtle flavors in these crisp poppy - seed cookies. They’re generously speckled with poppy seeds, which add an appealing crunch.

SPICED POPPY-SEED COOKIES

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

Grated zest 1 orange

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and orange zest. Turn to low speed. Mix in flour mixture and poppy seeds until combined.

Drop dough by tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each out to about 2-inch round.

Bake in center of oven at 325 degrees until just beginning to brown around edges, about 12 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then cool on wire rack. Makes about 32 cookies.