Berry

The charm of this simple dessert is obvious: It takes sweet summer fruits and cooks them down so that everything good about them becomes even better.

This recipe was created by chef Geraldine Ferraro of the Four Swallows Restaurant on Bainbridge Island in Washington. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream and a couple of shortbread cookies if you like.

Assemble the berries and yogurt up to a few hours ahead, then pour the caramel over shortly before serving.

If you're searching for a showstopping dessert (that is secretly easy to make) to serve company, look no further. Each gorgeous — and delicious — tricolored slice is a canvas of decorative swirls: vibrant orange, deep purple, and creamy white.

Although chocolate and raspberry are a luxurious combination, these beautifully layered ice pops are surprisingly light. They're a refreshing dessert after an alfresco meal, or a perfect treat on a hot afternoon.

A little easy preparation, plus time, yields a gorgeous old-fashioned English dessert that showcases summer berries in the most glorious way. The bread retains a bit of its texture and absorbs all the natural juices exuded by the berries for a cool, smooth intensity.

Commercial fruit vinegars usually employ cooked fruit, resulting in a heavy, jammy, and not-so-nuanced flavor. We made our vinegar with uncooked berries, so it retains that fresh-from-the-patch essence.

Spinach and strawberry salad had its moment in the '80s, but this version will surprise you with its refinement. The salad is not sweet, just aromatic — and coming across fresh berries every now and then provides bursts of fruitiness. The pecans are simply toasted, but once they're coated with vinaigrette, you'd swear they were candied. Raspberries would work well here, too.

Make this pie the night before — it takes just minutes to put together. If you don't want to think that far ahead, serve the sauce over scoops of ice cream.

The light custard is quick to make, but it has to be prepared just before it's served.

This recipe was created by chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill restaurant in New York City and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. For this Summer dessert, Chef Barber suggests experimenting with any seasonal berry.

Elizabeth likes to serve these with bacon. For the ultimate breakfast, she cooks the bacon first, pours off a bit of the grease, and cooks the pancakes in the same skillet.

A festive margarita variation with muddled fresh blackberries, thyme, and sparkling wine.