The Prettiest Desserts to Make This Spring
Sunny skies call for bright and merry desserts. Chocolate and caramel are survival mechanisms for winter, but they’re not necessary when all you need is a light spring jacket outside. So bring on the tart fruits and dreamy meringues. Below are some of our prettiest spring treats. They’re all beautiful, and most are fun and easy to put together.
Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake (pictured above)
When you spot rhubarb in the market, act fast — pick up a stalk or four and make dessert! The tart vegetable gives an instant upgrade to classic strawberry shortcake.
Renee Comet, Renee Comet
Naked cakes are all still in style this spring, and The Pioneer Woman’s four-layer beauty deserves the spotlight at your spring soiree. (No one has to know how easy it is to actually make.)
Is your Bundt pan hidden in a dark corner of your bottom cabinet? Dust it off (or wash it if it’s really been there forever) and make this cake stat! The orange-poppy seed flavor is something you’ll wish you had thought of sooner. For a light and fluffy crumb, make sure to cream the butter and sugar for a full three to five minutes — doing so aerates the batter.
RYAN LIEBE, Ryan Liebe—2015
Basil and mint leaves give the filling its stunning green color and an ultrafresh flavor. While a graham cracker crust would be just fine, a vanilla wafer cookie crust elevates Food Network Magazine’s recipe to something special — as does the lime-kissed whipped cream topping sprinkled with toasted coconut and herb sugar.
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Tyler Florence created this brilliant mash-up of cheesecake and ice cream before hybrid desserts were a thing. Make it. Unlike those infamous croissant-doughnuts, this is an easy recipe you can and should make at home.
There were no magic tricks involved with the making of this delicious pie, topped with cloudlike meringue, that comes together in a under an hour. Really. It’s just a really smart recipe from Trisha Yearwood that tastes and looks magical.
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
If the thought of lemon curd and macerated strawberries doesn’t excite you, we get it — fruit desserts aren’t for everyone. Giada De Laurentiis’ light-as-air mini chocolate cupcakes are.
Levi Brown
Food Network Magazine tackled the world’s most-impossible cookie and came up with a dependable recipe to try at home. We consider macarons bucket-list cookies you have to try making at least once. So pick your favorite color and flavor and start sifting your almond flour.
