Who doesn’t enjoy summertime desserts with delicious seasonal berries? These simple desserts offer summer comfort with beautiful colours and tempting flavours.
We know berries are full of health benefits. Along with barley, they are loaded with antioxidants, fibre and vitamins. Plus they make a scrumptious base for cakes, pies, crisps, cobblers and grunts. I love it when health and indulgence comes together in one dessert. I’ve picked three GoBarley desserts recipes to share with you that have a variety of preparation techniques and times. Each will guarantee your family dinners at the cottage end on a sweet note all summer long.
Blueberry Grunt
This no-fuss, kid friendly dessert is a traditional Eastern Canadian favourite. What is a grunt? Folklore suggests the dessert was named because of the grunting sounds it makes while cooking, but you might hear those sounds instead while it’s being eaten! The entire dessert is made in one large sauce pan, eliminating the oven heat in the summer and making clean up easy. With minimal added sugar, this every day dessert is perfect for people reducing their intake. The best part of this dessert is when the dumplings made with whole barley flour cook and puff up; they soak up the delicious juices released by the blueberries in the cinnamon-spiced sauce.
Jane’s Dessert Planning Tip
I recommend freezing extra blueberries this season, so you can enjoy this easy summertime classic year-round.
Prairie-Streusel Topped Cake
This tasty fruit dessert is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth while reaping the nutritional benefits of Saskatoon berries and rhubarb. The streusel topping made with whole barley flour and cinnamon adds a touch of sweetness to an already outstanding summertime cake. In mid-summer, you’d expect to find this cake in farm kitchens across the prairies. It’s ideal to dish up with a cup of tea when friends drop in for a relaxed afternoon visit. Or take it to your next pool party for the whole gang to enjoy après dinner.
Jane’s Dessert Planning Tip
When I make the streusel topping, I include ¼ cup (60 mL) of sliced almonds to add extra crunch.
Raspberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Cobblers are desserts that have softer biscuit-like topping and texture, compared to crisps which use rolled oats for a crunchier texture. Both use a mixture of seasonal fruits and berries. This cobbler is loaded rhubarb which is an early summer vegetable although we use it like a fruit. The raspberries complement the rhubarb well and impart a sweet, distinctive flavour and texture. This recipe is straight forward, so you can involve the kids to measure the dry ingredients including the whole barley flour. This summertime favourite is best served warm with whipped cream.
Jane’s Dessert Planning Tip
Keep a stash of rhubarb in the freezer so you can capture an essence of this seasonal dessert year-round.
Nothing beats the delicious sweet, tart taste of summertime in desserts made from scratch with whole barley flour. Enjoy and Happy summer!
