American

This ice cream is fabulous drizzled with hot fudge sauce—a decidedly sophisticated treat for adults.

This strawberry ice cream has an old-fashioned pale pink color with delicious chunks of whole fruit inside. Using light cream and milk in place of heavy cream reduces the fat and calories without compromising the taste.

This apple crumble is the ultimate healthy-eating comfort food. Together the warm cinnamon apples and the rich walnut topping can’t be beat. Combining apples of mixed texture works best. A firm variety such as Golden Delicious will retain its shape and texture while a Cortland will lend itself beautifully to producing a thick, delicious sauce.

Sweet blueberries and juicy peaches remind me of summer. With its buttery biscuit topping, this cobbler brings back memories of backyard picnics and barbeques. Don’t forget the ice cream when serving this dessert. If you like, you can substitute the buttermilk with low-fat plain kefir, a cultured yogurtlike drink. Full of Lactobacillus acidophilus, a beneficial probiotic that aids in digestion, kefir is widely available at health food stores.

The usual corn syrup is replaced with agave nectar in this elegant tart. It’s beautiful on a holiday dessert table or at any get-together.

Here’s a picture-perfect apple pie—filled mile high with juicy apples. Sprouted spelt flour makes the crust unbelievably flaky and easy to work with. Serve it hot with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream and listen to the raves. For a vegan version, use butter substitute instead of butter, and serve with Soy Vanilla Ice Cream (page 83).

This is a new take on an old favorite. Dates add great flavor and texture to the creamy spiced filling in this vegan pie. The nutty pecan crust is the perfect contrast to the velvety smooth pumpkin filling. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to try this one!

I get raves when I make this cheesecake, and I’m sure you will, too.

A traditional summer treat, especially yummy when strawberries are in season. For the sweetest berries, nothing beats freshly picked. Adjust the amount of agave nectar you use in the filling depending on the sweetness of the berries.

The texture of this cake is that of angel food cake, but made with whole grains, it has more substance than the white version.

This is a special vegan cake that’s an impressive dessert for dinner guests. The custard and fruit make a delightful topping that’s fat-free and looks like you toiled for hours over it.

You have to have a great carrot cake recipe to go to now and again. This one fits the bill—supermoist and loaded with goodies. Cut back on the fat even further by trying the Fat-Free Vanilla Yogurt Frosting (page 107) on this cake.

The key to really moist, fudgy brownies is not to overmix the batter. For extra decadence, lightly frost them with softened chocolate ganache (page 108) and sprinkle with extra toasted nuts on top. These treats are for serious chocolate lovers.

Pecan pie is usually off-limits to me: it’s full of corn syrup, which nutritionally speaking is a recipe for disaster. These Pecan Pie Squares, served warm, have the same rich, nutty taste with a fraction of the fat and no refined sugars.

A cross between apple pie and crumb cake, these cookie bars are perfect for parties, picnics, and crowds, and a great addition to any cookie platter. For the best taste and texture, I recommend you use any combination of Macintosh, Cortland, or Golden Delicious apples for the filling.

Try this heartier version of America’s classic cookie.

A great treat for children of all ages. Who can resist PB&J? For peanut allergies, substitute soy nut or other nut butter of your choice. For gluten allergies, replace the spelt flour with garbanzo bean flour. Although not essential, organic peanut butter will offer the best taste and quality.

My whole family goes crazy for red velvet cake. It’s so gorgeous and festive and sounds so luxe. This old-fashioned Southern favorite can be made even healthier by using Seelect Natural Food Coloring, which I order online (see Resources, page 177). That way, you can let them eat cake without the slightest tinge of guilt.

Requiring no cooking and no blending, this soup takes full advantage of the lush fruits of midsummer.

A splendid no-cook soup that will awaken taste buds dulled by summer heat. This soup can be eaten as soon as it is made, but definitely benefits from having time to stand for several hours so that the lively flavors can mingle. This soup is a great first course for a Mexican or Southwestern-style meal.