Indulge in these 4 Easy but Impressive Berry Desserts – simple recipes that look and taste incredible! Perfect for summer entertaining. Plus find the linky for #CookBlogShare Week 31 and discover some super useful food photography tips too!!
Hey #CookBlogSharers! How are you enjoying the summer so far? I am having a ball. My kids are now 8 and 9 and it’s just a perfect age for summer holidays. We have been enjoying lazy mornings, trips to the park and the library, fun cooking sessions and days out.
Plus my kids have really got into YouTube this year, so large parts of their days have been spent making their own videos in the style of their favourite shows!!
Like last year, I spent most of the first part of July scheduling my posts, newsletters and social media so that I could spend as much time as possible with the kids during the summer (and take a break!!). It’s never perfect and I still have to work a bit, but it’s so nice knowing nearly everything is scheduled so I can at least enjoy a slower pace of life.
If you are finding the summer holidays tough, you might find my post on How to juggle blogging and holidays over on my other website, Productive Blogging, helpful!
Speaking of PB, today is a super exciting day because I am featuring my first guest post, from the lovely Vicki Psarias of Honest Mum –all about how to be your own publicist. Something she is SUPER good at. I’ve learnt a lot from her tips.
Something else from PB that you might be interested in, if you are a blogger or you run a website: I’ve had a lot of questions lately in my Productive Blogging Community Facebook Group about SEO and specifically cornerstone content, which is such an important part of SEO, but hardly ever gets talked about (and when it does, it’s usually in techno-jargon), so if you are a bit unsure about cornerstone content or you just plain don’t know what it is, head over to my post on how to use cornerstone content to increase blog traffic and find out.
OK, enough of the PB talk, time to get back to FOOD!!!
4 Easy but Impressive Berry Desserts
Summer berries are one of my favourite things about this time of year. I just love the displays in the greengrocers – it all looks so lush and delicious. I actually find it more tempting than chocolate (though berries dipped in chocolate… now you are talking!!) In fact, I am eating a big bowl of berries and yogurt right now as I type this – my pre-running snack, I’m aiming to do 10 miles tonight so I really need those berries!!
And it seems I’m not alone! There were lots of delicious summer fruit recipes linked up last week, so I picked my favourites to share with you today. My selection are not only impressive to look at, but they are all actually surprisingly easy to make. These desserts are all a little bit indulgent, I’ll admit, but hey – it’s holiday time and berries count as one of your 5 a day, don’t they?? ?
Simple Strawberry Baileys & Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream (no churn)
First up, I couldn’t not include this AMAZING Simple Strawberry Baileys & Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream from Kate at Gluten Free Alchemist. Oh wow! This easy no churn ice cream involves roasting strawberries (who knew that was a thing? But it sounds awesome!), Strawberry Baileys and very little effort. My kind of ice cream. And I love how beautifully she has decorated it with pistachios and freeze-dried strawberries. It looks so, so pretty!
Pistachio, Raspberry and Lemon Meringue Roll
Next up is this incredible Pistachio, Raspberry and Lemon Meringue Roll from Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy. Soft gooey pistachio meringue rolled with a lemon cream and fresh raspberries. Sounds heavenly! And it looks incredible too – perfect for summer entertaining. And, according to Jacqui, it’s way easier than it looks. I do love a showstopping recipe, that’s secretly really easy to make!!
Raspberry & Lemon Curd Meringue Nests
Another dessert that looks impressive, without much effort, are these Raspberry & Lemon Curd Meringue Nests from Cat over at Curly’s Cooking. According to Cat, the meringues are the only element which take a bit of time, but most of that is leaving them to do their own thing in the oven. She suggests that during this part of the cooking process you should be in the garden with your feet up and a glass of something cold in your hand. A girl after my own heart. I think that’s got to be essential part of the recipe, don’t you? If I make these, I’m going to be following that part to the letter! ?
Chocolate Brownies with Strawberries
What’s a dessert recipe roundup without brownies? Luckily Jo from Jo’s kitchen larder linked up her Chocolate Brownies with Strawberries recipe this week. And what fab brownies they are! A fairly traditional brownie recipe, but with the addition of strawberries, not just WITH but right IN the brownie batter giving, as Jo describes, “a slightly unexpected burst of additional tangy sweetness” – sounds AMAZING!! And like all the other recipes this week – they look impressive, but are really quite easy to make. BRILLIANT!!
Food Photography Tips
If all of these gorgeous, indulgent and impressive looking desserts have got you wishing you could take photos like these, then I have a treat for you this week: Angela from Only crumbs remain has written a brilliant tutorial in which she shares her Food Photography Tips. Her tips are really useful, really practical and don’t require you to have a massive amount of fancy, expensive equipment, so I really recommend you head over there and give her article a read – even if your photography is pretty good, I’m sure you’ll pick up an extra tip or two from it. I know I did!!
#CookBlogShare Linky Week 31
And so we come to this week’s linky. You can link up any foodie post that you have – both old and new posts are welcome. All you need to do is:
- Link up a recipe or foodie post by clicking the blue ‘add your link’ button below and following the instructions (maximum of 4, please).
- Add a link from your post back to this post (so everyone else can find it and link up too!) and / or add the #CookBlogShare badge to your post (you can find the code below).
- Comment on one of the host’s posts and a minimum of 2 other posts linked up here, and generally share the love with a bit of social media action!
If you wish, you can tweet a link to your recipe to me @easypeasyfoodie and also (if you have room on the tweet!) my co-hosts Jacqui @jacdotbee and Monika @MonikasRecipes, using the #CookBlogShare hashtag and we will retweet them. You can also post your recipe on the Cook Blog Share Facebook Page.
Need some help on Instagram? You and me both…so let’s help each other! Whenever you post to Instagram, use the #CookBlogShare hashtag, then quickly hop over to the #CookBlogShare feed, liking as many as you can and commenting on any that particularly catch your eye. Not a big job at all, but if we all do it, it would make a BIG difference!!
I will comment on a selection of my favourite posts this week and pin them to the Cook Blog Share Pinterest Board. I can’t wait to see what you’ve all been making!
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Just to remind you, by joining in, you are giving the #CookBlogShare hosts permission to use your pictures in a round up and on social media, if your recipe is selected as one of our favourites!
Next week #CookBlogShare will be hosted by Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy 🙂
Pin 4 Easy but Impressive Berry Desserts for later
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says
Hello, Eb! Thanks a bunch for hosting!! I am stopping by with two sinful desserts. 😀 I hope you are having an amazing week! x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jhuls – you too!! Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
It sounds like your two youngsters and yourself are having a fab time this summer Eb … and making their own YouTube vids too – now that does sound a lot of fun! I’m loving all of those desserts you’ve picked out too they sound so yummy – and those flecks of pistachios on both a Jacqui’s and Kate’s desserts just really add an extra ‘something’ to their pics. Thankyou too for the Food Photography mention, that’s so lovely of you,
Angela xx
Eb Gargano says
We are thank you, Angela! They are such a fab age at the moment. So much fun, so many ideas and so much creativity. Today they announced after breakfast, “We won’t be around much today as we’ll be working on our car!”. Their ‘car’ is a large cardboard box which arrived yesterday in the post and which they are decorating. So funny!! A pleasure to feature your photography post – so helpful!! Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Brilliant – love children’s imagination – what you can do with a box eh! hope they’ve got road tax and insurance on their ‘car’ lol. 😉 xx
Eb Gargano says
Hahahaha – I’ll mention that to them!! xx
Patrick@looneyforfood.com says
Thanks for hosting!
Eb Gargano says
A pleasure, Patrick, thanks for joining in! Eb 🙂
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
Thank you for including my meringue nests as part of your round up. The other berry desserts look incredible! I wish I was a child and could have 6 weeks off in summer! x
Eb Gargano says
A pleasure, Cat! Oh my, yes – imagine having 6 weeks off? Sounds bliss! Eb x
Jacqui |Recipes Made Easy says
Fabulous round up, I love this time when all the summer berries are plentiful. I’m also really looking forward to what else is linked up this week summer might be a quieter time for blogs but I love all the fresh and light dishes that we make in the summer.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jacqui – yes me too. Summer is a great time for fresh, light dishes and fruity puddings (though it doesn’t stop me making the occasional stew/tagine/curry etc. I love them too much to go the whole summer without!! Eb x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
Your summer sounds dreamy. How impressive that you’ve got everything scheduled so you can enjoy it! I’ve been finding the posts on Productive Blogging to be incredibly helpful, particularly the one you mentioned above about cornerstone content. These berry treats look so beautiful and yummy! Perfect for summer.
Eb Gargano says
Thanka Michelle – it’s going pretty well. My kids are just such the perfect age for summer holidays. Thanks so much for your kind words about Productive Blogging. So pleased you are finding it helpful. Eb x
Jenny walters says
I think I have died and gone to Summer Dessert Heaven……Shamazing Recipes. All of them Summer in a dessert bowl!! Yum.
Eb Gargano says
I know, aren’t they fab? Mmmmm – summer dessert heaven sounds like a very nice place indeed 😀 Eb x
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
Thank you so much for including my brownies in your delicious berry desserts round up Eb! 🙂 We’re now back after two weeks of our European campervan travels and am so ready to get in that kitchen again and of course catch up on blogging although with two kids by my side Summer fun is not over just yet lol. 😉
Don’t you just love the joy that huge cardboard boxes bring to the kids. Who needs expensive toys!
Hope you are enjoying your European hols too! 🙂 x
Eb Gargano says
A pleasure Jo! We are now back from our travels too. And just like you I am itching to get back to blogging (though just like you I will have to juggle the blogging round kids for 2 more weeks!). Eb x
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
Thank you so much for including my ice cream Eb… All the featured recipes look incredible, so I am honoured to be in there. Apologies for being so late in heading over…. I wish my summer was a little more organised. At least your kids are more able to occupy themselves. Sounds like you are all having a great time.
Thanks for hosting as always xx
Eb Gargano says
A pleasure, Kate. 😀 Eb x